Merry Flipping Christmas
by BrattyLittleAngel
Summary: No good deed went unpunished, and Charlie should've known that saving a wanted criminal would only bring her grief.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: So, this is gonna be a quick Christmas Fic. It's been so long since I've written, and its been kinda nice writing again. Though I have found I've been making some mistakes - stupid title for my other ongoing fic, poor choice of surname for OC as well – it's starting to become a little easier each week. Hope you all enjoy.

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Chapter One

Once Upon a Time, Charlie Donovan gave a shit. She'd been one of those types - you know the spazes who loved the holidays - embracing mankind and geeking out on randomly placed elves and mistletoe. Black Fridays, decked out Christmas trees, and gag worthy holiday romcoms, were all part of her holiday itinerary. But now – well it was easy to say the blinders were off. The holidays were basically like a knife to the heart, reminding her of the life she once had, should have had . . . before.

Before S.T.A.R. labs had ruined her and her family's lives. Before her future had been ripped out of her grasp and epically destroyed in the most unfair and ironic way. And before it became crystal clear that the good guy – well they didn't always win. In fact, as far as Charlie could see, the universe took immense pleasure putting the screws to the really good people.

But the bad ones, those who fed on the weak and harmed with little disregard, they seemed to slip through the cracks with barely a scratch. Surprising little tidbit, not all 'bad guys' could be found in seedy bars and knocking over liquor stores. They could also be found sitting around conference tables planning on creative ways to screw over the 'little man', or at their work stations in some privately-owned labs creating whatchamacallit gizmos that would eventually blow up and wreaked havoc on a city of ignorant innocents.

Another nifty tidbit, the bad guys didn't care if it was Christmas either. People basically just sucked.

"Sweetie, don't take this the wrong way, but you look like crap."

"Makes sense, seeing that I feel like roadkill." Dropping her purse onto the bar top, Charlie frowned at the lingering customers around the stage area, before turning back to the bleach blonde behind the bar. "Also, explains the sucky tips."

"I think you'll find it has nothing to do with the dark circles around your eyes, but the time of year." Daphne, a retired striper who couldn't seem to leave the night life behind, nodded to the group of men with a sour look on her make-up caked face. "It's the same every freaking year. These jack wades come in here after their uptight Christmas parties, thinking the strip club is come kind of damn petting zoo. Do they spend any money? No. Because their anal-retentive wives analyze the banking statements, making sure every last penny is accounted for. And don't get me started on how no one seems to carry cash anymore."

"Good to know." Turning to see if the crowd had thinned out, Charlie muttered under her breath and took a seat at the bar. Sure, her job basically blew, and never in a million years had she thought her life would get to a point where she would need to twirl around a pole to make ends meet. "Do they also feel closing time is optional?"

"If you were married to a Pinterest-pill-popping addict, and had snotty nosed spawn who needed a safe room every time the wind changed, would you want to go home?" Grabbing another glass, Daphne smirked.

"There's a myth out there that a person needs to date before being saddled with a life sucking spouse and life destroying kids." Trying to match the older woman's snark, Charlie winced at how nearly pathetic she sounded. "Or so I heard."

"Yeah, this job can really turn you off of relationships." Pausing for a moment, Daphne eyed the younger woman critically. "Sweetheart let me give you some free advice."

"Men are scum and life basically sucks?" Pulling her strawberry blonde hair back into a ponytail, Charlie saw that the other woman was being serious. Ever since joining the staff of Diamonds the older woman had been relatively nice to her, and had passed on a few needed tips of the trade. "Shoot."

"This place, what you do, it's just a job, a paycheck. These idiots who show up, they're walking bank accounts, and it's your task to syphon as much as you can from them. But don't let this lifestyle take control of you, cause it'll take you down a road that will devour you. Stay off the drugs, don't let the men touch, and for the love of God don't think your gonna meet your future husband here. That's how some of these girls get trapped. You, your smarter than that, I can tell. Use this job to get on your feet and get the hell out." The advice sounded legit, and Charlie fidgeted on the bar stool under the other woman's intense stare.

"Trust me, this isn't exactly what I discussed with my High School guidance counselor." Feeling the bitter feel of failure churning in her stomach, Charlie lowered her gaze.

"I won't lie, you got dealt a crap hand." Returning to her task, Daphne wrung out the washcloth. "How's your Grams?"

Hating the lump that grew at the thought of her Grams, and feeling like a big fat baby for wanting to crawl off to a dark corner and cry, Charlie forced on a brave face. "She's having a good week."

"And that baby sister of yours?"

"Oh, she basically hates me." Drawing circles on the newly washed bartop, Charlie could feel her left eye starting to twitch. "I've ruined her life because I need her help at night with Grams, that she's the only person at school who's not going to the winter formal."

"Let me guess, Rick the Dick wouldn't give you the night off so she could go?" Daphne snorted.

"Laughed me out of the office."

"Someday your sister will see everything you did to keep a roof over her head, food in her stomach, and clothes on her ungrateful ass."

"I don't know, she seems pretty determined to make me as miserable as possible." Trying to pull the conversation away from the path of doom and gloom, Charlie carelessly shrugged her shoulders. "Which makes her happy, so there's that I guess." Looking over to where the men were still gathered, she let out a frustrated sigh. "Can they just leave? It makes me nervous having these bottom feeders lingering around. I know it's stupid, but I don't even want them knowing what kind of car I drive."

"Where you parked?"

"About a block away on Pine Street."

"Have one of the guys let you out the back."

"Yeah, walking down a dark, creepy, not to mention nasty alley sounds like a safer option."

Letting out a bark of laughter, Daphne shook her head. "Up to you darlin, but it doesn't look like Rick's kicking those fools out anytime soon."

Turning back, Charlie let out a moan when her eyes took in her jerk boss at one of the tables, drinking with the customers. "I hate my life."

"If it makes you feel safer, you can take my mace." The offer was tempting, and basically all Charlie wanted was to go home, crawl into bed, and sleep until Spring. Though in reality, her insomnia would kick in to keep her company for the night. With the possibility of sleep on the line, Charlie knew her ability to make decisions was under serious consideration as she pondered just how bad it'd be walking just a block.

"I'm going to regret this, and will probably end up spraying myself in the face, but I can't stay around here all night."

On the bright side, the alley was better lit than she'd envisioned, the down side to that though was that it just meant she had better lighting to enhance all the reasons she should turn back around and bang on the club's back door until one of the bouncers let her in. The stink radiating off the dumpsters was enough force her to keep walking forward, as thoughts of a long hot shower flittered through her head. Then there was the mushy feeling asphalt beneath her feet, which she was pretty certain wasn't slush from the recent snow fall. It was going to take a week to feel clean again.

Keeping her eyes trained forward, she tried to pretend she was in no way doing what was probably just one of the many stupid things she'd been accumulating over the past two years. It would be one thing if she'd made the choices that had put her on this path, but she hadn't. Her life, before S.T.A.R. freaking labs, had been one of structure, hard work and determination. All it'd taken was one night, one fluke accident, and everything in her world had been turned upside down.

First, it'd been her Grams getting sick, with some freaky mutated form of what the doctors could only guess was cancer. While all the doctors were left scratching their heads, the jerk offs at Central City Pharmaceuticals clued in on the link between the explosion, and the new mystery illness which was being found in babies and the elderly. It hadn't taken them long to find a treatment, but being the money hungry douchebags they were, slapped a hefty price tag on their miracle cure. So basically, unless a patient had a real understanding insurer willing to pay ten grand for a treatment, had an extra 10k, or knew someone with nifty healing powers, they eventually died. Painfully.

Of course, the little glitch with knowing a metahuman with healing powers was that it didn't technically heal the condition, just bought the person more time.

Then there had been – coming to a complete standstill, her heart skipping a painful beat inside her chest as a shadow to her right moved just enough to catch her attention from wandering thoughts. The longer she stood frozen in what she prayed was a puddle of slush, the surer she was that she could see the outline of a boot peeking out from behind a dumpster. As her brain started to return to somewhat normal capacity, it urged her to run as fast as she could, and not look back until she was safely locked away inside her car. Executing the plan didn't work out so well, seeing how she was still in the same location, three minutes later.

Sucking in a deep breath, while forcing one foot in front of the other, Charlie forced herself to move. The closer she got to the shadowy outline, the surer it was indeed a boot and unfortunately it appeared to be attached to a leg. After that she knew it went without saying an entire body would follow. Why couldn't it just be a random boot?

Moving as quietly as she could, she spared a brief glance as she passed the dumpster, and nearly cried in relief when the person appeared to be asleep. Feeling as though she was scott free, she froze again when her eyes fell onto the smeared bloody handprint on the industrial green of the dumpster. Her glance trailed to the form still hidden by the shadows and fought her instinct to ensure the individual was okay. Hadn't she learned already that no good deed went unpunished? What she needed to just keep walking, get in her car and drive home.

Definitely not inching closer to get a better look.

It took a few seconds for her eyes to adjust, and as her the person took shape she knew without a doubt God or someone up there hated her. A lot. Because it was the only explanation as to why Leonard Snart, Central Cities most wanted criminal was sitting there before her in a pool of his own blood.

Standing up way quicker than she should've, Charlie did the first smart thing she'd done all night and moved away from the wanted criminal. "This isn't happening." Lifting her head up, to stare at the smog filled sky, she couldn't help but yell. "I really don't think this is funny, and between you and me – you suck."

Turning her attention back to where Leonard Snart lay prone, she fumed and stomped her foot in a mix of anger and frustration. "I don't owe you anything, and honestly you wouldn't give me the time of day if our situations were reversed. So don't take this the wrong way, but I just don't have it in me. It's not you, well yeah perhaps it is just a little bit, but its mostly me."

Taking a step back, and then another she turned her back on the dying man and made it at least three more steps before a child sized tantrum took over her feet as she kicked and stomped until the balls and tips of her toes ached. With one last yell, that echoed off the brick alley walls, she spun back to him and moved quickly to kneel by his side.

"If you wake up and shoot me I'm gonna be pissed." Taking in his face, she tried to ignore the fact he wasn't hard on the eyes, she moved her eyes down his slouched torso. His thick, fur lined winter jacket covered way too much, and with an overburdened sigh her fingers went to the zipper. "Sure, hope you still respect me in the morning."

Once she could move his body enough to maneuver the jacket off she found the issue, well about ten issues to be exact. "This is the last time I ever use the back exit into a freaking alley." Peeling the blood-soaked shirt from his skin, she let out a long whistle. "Someone really hates you."

Placing a hand over the first entry wound, Charlie tried hard not to think about how unsanitary it was, and concentrated instead on the metal objects inside Snart's body. With a deep breath in and then out, she let the fog take over her mind and soon the bullet was in the palm of her hand. Fighting against the inevitable vertigo, Charlie used squeezed her eyes shut until the world stopped going wonky.

Over and over she carefully extracted the bullets from his body, until the last one was removed. "Hard part is over, for you I guess, another minute and you'll be good as new."

This time she envisioned the damage done inside, the torn muscles, broken bones, arteries, organs, anything really that had been shredded by ten little slugs. When she was ready, she moved his body to lean forward and placed both hands palm down upon his skin. Soon her fingers tingled, which moved quickly to her palms, making them almost itch.

The effort was intense, and the vertigo was nearly enough to make her sick. Feeling the damage healing, Charlie fought against the tide that was threatening to pull her under. When at last the outer wound, itself was closed, Charlie felt darkness take over, and this time she welcomed it.


	2. Chapter 2

This was supposed to be posted last week, but my poor baby pup pup hurt his foot and I had my hands full. So the chapter is long, I didn't edit as much as I should have, but I hope you all enjoy!

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There were several things Leonard Snart hated - besides his father, Flash and the CCPD - being treated like a common shmuck was one of them. Not that he was ready to admit it now, or ever, but perhaps his midnight stroll down the back alley hadn't been one of his most – thought out plans. But he never considered, perhaps due to his slightly inflated ego, that anyone would have the nerve to attack him, to steal from him.

But someone had, and worse, he'd been taken out from behind. It was humiliating and he was going to make whoever had the nerve to attack and steal from him pay. He may have made an annoying little agreement with the Red Twit, but there were more ways to exact revenge, more creative ways – and he was a very creative sort of guy.

What he could remember from the night before, was grabbing a drink at the Ice House. It'd been an impromptu stop, after finding Diamonds a tad overcrowded to his liking. He'd been in the mood to celebrate the success of the most recent heist, he had decided one drink wouldn't hurt before meeting up with a contact who was the only person he trusted to fence his newly acquired gems. He'd used the back door to the alley when a few 'friends' showed up, not wanting to attract their attention, and that was it.

Now he was a proud owner of a major headache that started behind his left eye, traveled to the base of his skull, and thumped unpleasantly, instead of pockets lined with cash. Oh, and he'd found an unconscious woman, covered in blood, laying on top of him. It was just a peach of a day.

"Still out?" The sound of heavy boot steps against metal grate came from behind, Leonard gave up his post of glaring at the lifeless girl and turned toward his partner.

"As it appears." Circling the chair he'd secured the annoyance to, he scrutinized her with a less than thrilled expression. Somewhere in that strawberry blonde head held the answers he wanted, and he was finding his already limited amount of patience dwindling at an amazing rate. Apparently waking up in a filthy alley, with his portion of the take missing put him in a foul mood.

"She's kinda cute, for a ginger, but really stinks." Raising a spoon from the large bowl of cereal in his beefy hand, Mick made a face.

"Well I did find her passed out in an alley." Leonard frowned as he sauntered over to a makeshift desk and leaned against it while crossing his arms over his chest. "And I believe once the blood is washed from her hair she's more of a strawberry blonde."

With a grunt, Mick rolled his eyes and shoved another spoon full of sugar in his mouth. "Same thing, she still stinks though."

With a put-upon sigh, Leonard pinched his nose before regarding his partner. "Not really part of the big picture Mick. My bag went missing, you know, the bag with our portion from the job last night. Not to mention the present I picked up for Lisa."

"We could beat it out of her." Mick offered in his own special way of not really helping.

"Should we do that before or after she wakes up?" Leonard quipped, as a smirk grew on his face. "I'll keep that in mind. But I was going to go for a different route."

"Maybe she's one of them metahumans." Mick said around a mouthful of food. "Wouldn't it be something if she could melt our faces off with just a look?"

"Yeah, wouldn't that be something?" Shaking his head at his friend's apparent excitement, Leonard spared a quick glance at their guest. "I doubt we have much to worry about, seeing how she was out cold on top of me."

His cereal forgotten momentarily, Mick looked over at him in confusion. "So, if you don't think she's dangerous, why'd you tie her up?"

"Do I think she's the one who got one up on me? No," Studying the girl like she was some kind of fascinating bug, Leonard snorted. "Because I doubt my crushed ego would've allowed me to continue on." Pushing off the desk he moved until he was directly in front of her and crouched down. Placing a finger under her chin, he nudged her chin up so he could get a better look. "I do think she knows exactly what happened, who did it, and more importantly where my bag is. The tying her up part – let's just say its added incentive for her to spill everything she knows, as fast as she can."

"And if she don't know anything?" Digging back into the now soggy cereal, Mick eyed Charlie, not appearing to be overly impressed with what he saw.

"I suppose I'll cross that proverbial bridge when I get there." Disgruntled he really hadn't planned any further than getting his hostage back to the loft - and taking the world's longest hot shower - Leonard stood up gracefully and shot Mick a dirty look. "Don't suppose you've had any luck tracking down our associates from last night?"

"I'm eating, then I'll look for 'em."

"Mick." Trying hard not to sound as though he were talking to a three-year-old, Leonard swallowed the growl of frustration curdling in his throat, and counted to ten. It wasn't Mick's fault he'd woken up in a puddle of blood and filth, feeling as though he'd had a building dropped on him. Nor had it been his partner's fault that a half-frozen stranger had been passed out over him. A stranger, who by the way, was the only possible link as to why his favorite jacket and new navy blue sweater had ten holes that ironically appeared to be from bullets. Holes that were caked in dried blood. And though his clothing held a very special place in his heart, what he really wanted to know, was how his clothing showed signs of what should've been his ultimate end. Oh, and where in the hell his bag was.

So yeah, he wasn't in a great freaking mood.

"Mick." Repeating himself a tad bit calmer, Leonard fixed his friend with an exasperated glare. "The sooner we get this tied up, the sooner we can leave Central City for that little ski village in the Rockies."

With a wistful look on his face Mick sighed. "I love Ski Bunnies."

"Who doesn't?" Leonard smirked. "But we'll be stuck here, Bunny free, if that bag isn't found."

A fierce expression crossed Mick's face. "I'm on it."

"Oh Mick." Before his friend and partner could make it out the door, Leonard called him back. "Get in touch with Nibbles, see is she can hack into the businesses with cameras on the alley, see if we can speed this along."

"Do I have to? That broad creeps me out." Mick made a face, looking almost uncomfortable at the thought. "I think she has it out for me."

"That's because she does." Leonard said, his tone mocking. "Apparently, she takes offense to being called a broad, babe, chick, girl or hottie. She's one of those progressive females."

"Well, what in the hell should I call her?" Mick's thick brow lowered in agitation.

"I really don't care, as long as she's looking into what the hell happened in that alley last night."

"Fine." Mick grunted as he left the room. "But it's dames like her that confuse men."

With an eye roll, Leonard watched as Mick strode out the door before turning back to his guest. "One down, one to go." Pushing up the sleeves of his dark jersey, he took in the young woman in front of him. She'd been out for longer than he'd anticipated, and as loathe as he was to admit it, he was starting to wonder if perhaps she needed medical care, not slip knots securing her arms and feet to a chair.

Moving to where he'd tossed her purse and jacket, he decided he could start getting some answers by poking around inside the large black bag. Like most females, she seemed to be under the impression it was imperative to carry every odd and end around with them. As if there would be some sort of world ending emergency requiring a traveling sewing kit, dental floss, and receipt from a decade prior to save mankind.

Bypassing the tampons and quickly making a grab for the wallet, Leonard dropped the purse in haste. "Charlotte Grace Donavon." Looking over the wallet to the young woman he tilted his head to the side. He supposed the name fit, what with her slender, graceful frame. "So, tell me, what is a girl from Leawood doing in an alley in City Central?"

The pieces didn't fit.

Typically, he enjoyed a good puzzle, but something about the girl before him rubbed him the wrong way. His gut was telling him something bad was in the air, but the longer he took her in he couldn't see how such a little thing could be a danger to him. Narrowing his eyes in mistrust, he went back to her discarded purse and upended the entire thing. With a shake of his head he stared down at the items when a lanyard caught his attention. Picking it up, he stared at the badge attached.

"Impressive." Looking over his shoulder, he felt as though one missing piece was within his grasp. "Student nurse at Central City Hospital." Turning back to the object in his hand, Leonard studied the picture on the I.D. He'd been right, her hair was more strawberry than back alley dirt – not that it mattered.

Dropping the item down his eyes landed on a small black pouch secured with a drawstring. Picking it up he pulled on the strings and opened it. "Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Pulling out the wad of bills, he let out a long whistle. "There are only a few reasons a girl would have a roll of bills like this." His eyes gleamed as he spun dramatically on his heel and analyzed his captive with a new eye.

"Tell me Charlotte, are you play a naughty little nurse on the side?" His sneer slipped when a quiet moan came from his captive. Shoving the money back into the bag and tossing it over his shoulder he sighed. "About time."

Waiting for her to fully come to, Leonard ran through a few variations he could use to extract the necessary information. Usually, cold, calculated, and scary worked wonders. If she recognized him, he could work on her fears to ensure quick results. It was all about finding out who was stupid enough to attack him, and finding his bag.

It was almost like he could sense the exact second she came fully awake, and Leonard found himself almost holding his breath as he braced himself for inevitable tears and pleading. They would eventually fade, as anger took over and empty threats were tossed his way. He hated the tears, as any healthy male would, so he honestly hoped she got to the anger part quickly.

The first thing Charlie noticed was that her limps were having extreme difficulty in moving. The second thing she became conscious of, was the horrid stank radiating off her. It took her a few more seconds to realize she had awoken to a whole new level of trouble. Struggling to raise her head, she swallowed down a totally inappropriate giggle when her eyes landed on one pissed off looking Leonard Snart.

She saved his lousy life, and he ties her up as a thank you. Seemed totally rational, normal – in bizzaro world. Which apparently now was her new zip code.

"Seriously?" Tilting her head back, Charlie glared up at the ceiling, to where she assumed the gods where laughing hysterically down at her. "This is the best you got?" The movement made her head spin, but she didn't really care. Looking back down, her eyes landing on Leonard Snart's impassive expression, then falling to the ropes securing her wrists. With a frustrated groan, she fought uselessly against the restraints.

Leonard watched with a mixture of fascination and humor, as the girl had a complete melt down. In all his years of being a down right bastard, he'd seen many differing reactions from his advisories, anger, fear, absolute loathing, but nothing like this. There hadn't been an ounce of fear in her eyes when she'd awoken. And even better – no tears. Her tantrum lasted only a few seconds, but when she was done, her cinnamon colored eyes met his gaze once more.

"Done? Or should I grab a snack?" Once again, he found himself intrigued by her reaction, as a deep blush inched its way up her slender neck to pool on her cheeks. When she remained silent, and tantrum free, he continued. "So, here's how it's going to go, Charlotte -," Taking note of the face she made at the sound of her name, Leonard tucked that little tidbit away. "As soon as you tell me what I want to know, you're free to leave."

Letting his words sink in, he moved closer, until the tip of his boots scraped the legs of the chair. Leaning in close, ensuring he invaded her personal bubble, he gave her a smoldering glare. "You lie to me, well Charlotte, let's just say it'll put you on my naughty list. And you really don't want to know what I do to people who are on my naughty list."

Staring into her eyes, he waited until that trace of fear flickered. It took a little longer than he appreciated, bruising his ago just a little, but there was a flicker of unease, and he took it as a win. Making a face and moving away, he returned to where he'd been snooping through her personal belongings and used the table to lean against. "The added incentive, the sooner you're free the sooner you can bathe."

Another flash of something crossed her pinkened face. "Do I have to guess I know what you're talking about? Or are you going to ask me a question anytime soon?"

Amazed her voice didn't crack under the intense, gut wrenching fear that was taking over her body, Charlie tried to hold onto the anger. It was the only way she was going to keep from crying over how unfair the entire situation was. Apparently, karma points worked in reverse for her. Instead of earning her a good return from the universe, she was rewarded a plate of crap, while tied to a chair.

Her question seemed to have rubbed the high and mighty Leonard Snart the wrong way, and though she'd probably pay for that too, she didn't couldn't gather the energy to care. She'd saved his life damnit, and while saving one of the most dangerous men in Central City was probably a sign she was hitting rock bottom, he owed it to her. Didn't he?

And as sick as it was, she wasn't afraid of what the man in front of her was going to do to her. No, that would be smart, and the last year of questionable decisions was proof enough she should always do the opposite of what she wanted to do. No, Charlie was terrified he was going to find out the truth. That she had healed him the night before, with powers that were literally forced on her.

Freaking S.T.A.R. labs.

The worst thing would be for a criminal like him to find out the truth. She'd learned the hard way how dangerous it was to have the power to heal. Perhaps if she hadn't been so narcissistic about her ability when she realized she could save lives with just a touch of her hands, she would've seen the potential danger. It wasn't until a nosey nurse began to suspect that reality had set in. Saving lives was big money, and people would do drastic things to save the people they loved.

As far as powers went, hers were perhaps the most dangerous to have. Which was irony in motion.

It didn't take long for her to figure out she couldn't keep working in a hospital. Not with the potential of being discovered, and eventually placing herself and her family at risk. So, with only a few months to go in the student nurse program, she dropped out. Telling herself daily it was for the best.

Leonard had to admire her backbone, but mostly he was relieved she wasn't a crier. "Do you know who I am?"

Her blank face shifted into an expression of 'no duh'. "Leonard Snart."

"My reputation precedes me." Leonard's smirk grew. Did it ever, and Charlie wasn't about to let his calm façade fool her. Now that he wasn't dying I a pool of blood and god only knew what else, she could almost feel the danger radiating off him. Like most many dangerous creatures, Leonard Snart was almost hypnotizing with his ice blue eyes, strong jaw, and muscular body. Even his voice possessed the ability to lure a person into a false sense of security.

"Your mug shot is at the Central City Post Office - the lines are really long." Her shrug was slightly hindered by her arms being tied down, but seeing the slight flare of his nostrils made her feel slightly victorious. "Was that your question? Did I answer you correctly?"

He was going to strangle her, and a small evil part of him was wondering what it would take to make her cry. "What were you doing in the alley?"

"I was trying to avoid creepy men and get to my car. At the time the alley seemed like the safest option. Guess I was wrong."

"A little advice? When trying to avoid creepy men, avoid passing out on them." Sending her a brittle smile, Leonard leaned in again, almost bumping his nose with hers. "You never know if they'll respect you in the morning."

Jerking her head back, her words from the night before invading her thoughts, she frantically searched his expression to see if maybe he hadn't been as dead to the world as she thought. Not able to tell either way, Charlie couldn't help but press back in the chair. "Noted."

"So, while you were failing to avoid creepy men, what exactly happened?"

"I don't know."

"That's a lie." Clucking his tongue, Leonard shook his head in mock disappointment. "Charlotte, don't take this the wrong way, but you're a horrible liar. You've got a tell, sweetheart. So, let's try this again, what did you see in that alley?"

Taking a moment to really access her situation, and perhaps a few ticks of a second of what exactly her tell was, she wondered if she could tell him enough without blabbing everything. "You were passed out, next to a dumpster."

"And?" His expression started to look slightly put upon, as he motioned for her to continue.

"There was no bag, no one else, nothing."

"And." Placing a hand on each of her arms and leaning in, Leonard smirked when at last there was a flash of fear in the girl's eyes.

"Hate to interrupt." A deep gravelly voice came from behind, as the sound of heavy boots thudded from behind.

"Little busy here." Leonard said unflinching, his eyes pinned to his captives, almost trying to mentally pry the answers from her.

"She's still a pain in the ass, but that chick has skills."

"Mick -," Grinding his back teeth together, Leonard shot his eyes to where Mick stood. "Not now."

"Did you know she was able to hack the feed, and send it to your phone without having to be here?"

Without tearing his eyes from the girl, Leonard stood and pulled his phone from his pocket. "Last chance. If I find out you had anything to do with last night – well let's just say I hope you like pain – and not the fun kind."

Not completely understanding what was going on, but knowing she probably wouldn't want to find out what kind of pain Leonard Snart found to be 'not fun', Charlie felt her mouth go dry and an uneasy feeling twist inside her stomach. What she didn't like one bit, was the sudden dark scowl that took over his face as he watched silently, just a few feet away.

Whatever had been sent to him, was making Leonard very unhappy. Charlie watched as he jabbed the screen again, and his scowl reached his brows this time. On the third jab a low growl escaped his chest, Charlie felt a cold sweat break out on the back of her neck, and nausea creep up her throat.

Looking as though he wanted to throw his phone at the nearest wall, Leonard shoved it instead into his pocket before looking at the giant who had moved to the other side of the room, while cocking his head to the side and walking out of the room.

As soon as she was sure she was alone, Charlie fought against the ropes as though her life depended on it, because she'd never been as certain as she was now that her life was in serious jeopardy. There was no doubt who that giant of a man was, Mick Rory, and as much as her life sucked – she wasn't ready to call it quits yet. Not like this. Not by a man who looked like a vengeful angel, and a freak who liked to set things on fire.

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep it up." A bored tone came from behind, as Leonard came from behind her. Gone was the angry expression, and where his renewed calm should've put her at ease, his ability to turn off his emotions really creeped her out. "Thirsty?"

Yes, her stranger danger siren was going off double time. "I'm good." She knew it came out like a croak, and hated the mocking way his eyes twinkled.

"Its water – you know H2O, aqua - in a sealed bottle. Not a vial of poison."

"Seriously, I'm good."

"Charlotte – be a big girl and drink – we've got a lot to talk about."

Watching as he twisted the cap off the bottle in his hand, Charlie shook her head and was about to let him know she was all talked out. But he seemed to have something else in mind, as he closed the distance between them and cupped her jaw to tilt her head back. She struggled against him, until he took the upper hand and pinched her mouth shut.

She nearly chocked on the cool liquid, but surprised herself by being able to swallow it down before drowning. Soon he pulled the damned bottle away and Charlie could breathe again. "Done acting like a drama queen now that you see you're not dying."

Recapping the water and placing it on the floor next to her foot, he turned his attention to the ropes at her wrists. She watched in stunned silence, not sure what exactly was going on. When he was done with one arm, he went to the other.

"Let me give you one last bit of advice. Girls like you should avoid alleys, and places like Diamonds." When both her arms were free he made quick work of the ropes on her feet, before standing up before her and taking a huge step back. "Oh, and you definitely should avoid taking drinks from strange men, you never know -."

Whatever else he said went fuzzy, as Charlotte struggled to keep the world from spinning off its axis. All the while cursing Leonard Snart while slipping back under.


	3. Chapter 3

Author's Note- Trying really hard to get this finished before the end of the year, so if you're reading my other fic it'll start again at the beginning of the year. Hope everyone is enjoying the story.

* * *

"Shocked you showed up." Gritting her teeth at the condescending huff only a pissed off fifteen-year-old could make, Charlie wrapped her fingers tightly around the steering wheel while forcing herself to breath.

"Cory." Eyeing her little sister Charlie felt herself torn between desperately wanting to find the mystical way to heal the chasm between them, and wanting to chock the life out of the little snot. "I already told you -."

"Yeah, the car died." With an eye roll – which may possibly be her last – Cory huddled down in the seat with a petulant expression cemented on her face. "The cars a piece of shit, it's always breaking down. You haven't stayed out an entire night and most of the day because of it. So why do you keep lying?"

It'd been four freaking days since she'd woken up alone just blocks away from where she'd parked her car the previous night. Her relief at being alive had been short lived when she'd looked at her cell phone and realized it was five o'clock and well past the time of being well and truly screwed. The car breaking down had been a sloppy excuse, but she hadn't had the energy for any creative thinking. She'd been mentally and physically drained, from healing that ungrateful jerk Leonard Snart, and not having slept well for days.

"What do you want me to say Cory? That I was abducted by aliens who probed me all night until they realized I wasn't a superior specimen and let me go?"

"Well I hope they wore protection." Still unrelenting, her sister turned her head to stare out the passenger side window. "The last thing we need is for you to give birth to a litter of alien hybrids. The car breaking down is more believable, like anything on this planet or another would want to 'probe' you."

Knowing they were at the edge of having yet another long and drawn out fight, Charlie decided to throw in the towel and just let her little sister simmer in whatever hate cocoon she'd wrapped herself in. The drive home didn't take long, and Charlie contemplated only a few times just how bad of a sister she would be if she just kicked Cory out of the car. It wasn't like she wouldn't slow down – slightly.

The tension was so thick inside the car she was more than happy when Cory slipped out before she turned off the ignition. With sad eyes, she watched as her baby sister stomped up the driveway and into the home they had grown up in. It hadn't always been like this, with her sister's simmering rage, that occasionally spewed over like lava hate bubbles in her direction. There were even days when she couldn't help but wonder if this new version of her sister was just inevitable teenage bullshit, or if the last two years had killed the adorable little girl she once had been.

Now it seemed no matter how hard she tried, her sister was determined to cast her as the villain.

The icing on the cake? She had three hours before she needed to be back at Diamonds, on her usual day off, for another fun filled night of total hell because Leonard Snart lived up to his title of King of Thieves by taking her night's worth of tips from her purse before dumping her unconscious body like a sack of rotten potatoes.

"I've got this." Blowing out a deep breath, and swallowing down an impending anxiety attack, Charlie gathered the meager groceries she'd picked up earlier and headed in.

"Grams?" Moving through the living room to the kitchen, Charlie stopped short nearly dropping her armload. "What are you doing?"

Turning from the stove, her Grams - the woman who had been in bed with aching feet a few hours before – gave her a look Charlie hadn't seen in years, the one that told her to stop being a twit. "What does it look like? Stop standing there with your mouth open Charlie Bean and set the table."

"You mean the table we haven't used in five years?" Pointing to the table in the corner of the room, Charlie approached her Grams slowly. Perhaps she was having a stroke. "You remember the last time we had a family dinner, right?"

"Do you plan on setting my kitchen on fire again Bean?" Her Grams asked dryly as she turned back to the pot of stew on the stove.

"I didn't mean to set it on fire the last time." She muttered under her breath as she decided to play along, Charlie moved to the cupboard.

"Use the good stuff." Her Grams instructed.

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. "Why?"

"Don't play dense. I can't believe you didn't give me some warning." Stirring the stew, her Gram clucked her tongue as she shuffled to the sink.

"Gram what are you talking about?"

"Well your young man of course."

"My what?" Nearly dropping the plates, Charlie spun around.

"Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was, answering the door in my robe when he came a calling?"

"A calling?" Her brain couldn't catch up, and not matter how many times she blinked.

"We had a nice chat though." Sniffing at the pot, she added a few more shakes of pepper. "So incredibly handsome and interesting. And those intense blue eyes -."

"Oh, Grams what have you done?" It was amazing just how fast her concern for her Gram's mental health and her confusion as to what in the hell was going on seemed to instantly evaporate as absolute understanding slugged her in the gut.

"And he was such a gentleman as I just sat there in my robe and hair just a fright. The least I could do was invite him for supper."

Looking around frantically now, Charlie all but tossed the plates onto the counter. "Grams where is he?"

"I sent him down to your room."

"You did what?" Her feet already moving to the stairway.

"Well seeing how you just spent the entire night with him a few nights ago - don't look at me like Charlotte Grace."

"But I didn't –"Not bothering to correct her Grams now, Charlie raced down the steps into the basement she'd claimed as her 'apartment' when she'd started college a lifetime ago.

Her eyes scanned the outer room she used for a sitting room, she hurried to her bedroom and froze just inside the door. There propped up on her pillows, holding her stuffed hippopotamus Gus to his chest and smiling at her like the freaky Cheshire Cat, sat Leonard Snart.

"Darling, you're home."

"Out." Pointing to the door, Charlie's only instinct at that moment was to get the man before her out of her house and far away from her family.

"You're put out with me." He had the audacity to mock her, as he calmly watched her from hooded eyes. "Was it the roofie? It was, wasn't it?"

"I'm being serious, leave."

"You aren't even slightly interested as to why I'd come all the way to suburbia to see you?"

Her eyes wild, Charlie shook her head and moved to the bed to shove his boots off her clean comforter. "No! Not really. And just to be clear, if you ask me about your stupid bag one more time I may take a baseball bat to your head. So, get your filthy boots off my bed and leave."

"But Grams invited me to dinner." Leonard smirked as he tucked his arms behind his head and winked at her. "Between you and me, I think she has a crush on me."

Putting her hands over her face and resisting the urge to scream, Charlie rubbed at her face before dropping her hands down to her sides. "What do you want?"

"Well Charlotte -."

"Charlie."

Out of everything this seemed to force Leonard to pause, as he took time to inspect her face. "Actually, I like the way your nose scrunches when I call you Charlotte."

"I really don't like you."

"Tsh tsh tsh." Tossing Gus to the side, Leonard swung his legs off the bed. "Liar liar pants on fire. You liked me enough to save my life the other night." Putting his hands up, and wiggling his fingers all but had her snapping her mouth shut as bile rose up her throat.

"Want me to leave now?" A sly smile quirked at the corners of his mouth. "Oh, don't look at me like that, you'll give me a complex."

"What do you want?"

"So many things." Leonard sighed. "But nothing from you. I am here to get rid of this nasty feeling inside of me. As my sister enjoyed reminding me – I owe you for saving my life."

"You told your sister what I can do?"

"Not exactly – I showed her."

Closing her eyes, Charlie suddenly remembered the phone he'd been so intently looking at. "Yeah, that's so much better."

"You have nothing to worry about, she's a little occupied at the moment, tracking down her Christmas present." His features softened, before the sour look returned. "So, let's get this over with, what do you want."

"For _you_ to leave." Charlie repeated, as she pointed to the door.

For just the briefest of seconds a genuine smile spread across his lips, and put an odd spark in his eyes.  
"At first I felt I was being generous by keeping your little secret. Of course, my life is worth so much more than that."

Narrowing her eyes, she watched him for just a second. "You felt guilty for taking my money and slipping me a roofie."

"One thing about me, I never feel guilty about stealing." His nostrils flared slightly. "But I hate feeling indebted to someone – a lot it seems. So I am at your disposal, and owe you one favor."

"A favor?"

"Maybe two - if you rub just right." He replied coyly.

Her cheeks felt as though they were on fire, but instead of allowing him to get the upper hand by making her feel uncomfortable, Charlie crossed her arms over her chest and tried to school her features into bland boredom. "And here I thought I was supposed to get three wishes for rubbing a lamp."

"Who said anything about a lamp?" Letting his words sink in, Leonard suppressed the urge to laugh at how easy it was to fluster the young woman in front of him.

He'd known there was something off about the petite woman. Perhaps off was the wrong word. Interesting – she was intriguing – for now. It wasn't just her looks. He wasn't a fool to let the outer trappings throw him off his game, he knew many angel faced young women who were rotten, right down to the core. The woman in front of him was different, not rotten on the inside, just slightly damaged, but stubbornly holding onto her inner goodness. That much he had figured out.

Plus, it was a hoot to bait her.

"What do you mean by favor?" A hum of astonished hope vibrated through her, but having been victim to too many beat downs in the last year, Charlie eyed the criminal wearily. A sane person would have called the police by this point. But they were past that point – right?

"You want me to spell it out for you?"

"I want to make sure I know what I am getting into by accepting favors from the Devil."

The bark of laughter that erupted from Leonard's mouth startled Charlie, making her take a step back. "Now you're comparing me to the Devil? Not when I had you tied to a chair?"

"Being held hostage by Leonard Snart is almost expected." Charlie defended herself, feeling foolish at his obvious mirth. "A favor from him? I can't help there's about a hundred different strings attached."

"Ah, you're not just a pretty face." Leonard hummed in appreciation. "Any other time – other offer – you would be wise to question my motives. I can't be trusted. But this -." His face grew pensive. "You saved my life, that I take very seriously. So, this is exactly what I mean by favor. I possess a certain skill set, one I am very, very good at. Any time you are in need of assistance – of any kind – I owe you a freebie. A once in a lifetime offer, no questions. You want a pretty, priceless bauble – all you need to do is ask. Or, if you need money, I can get you more than enough."

"And then what?"

"Then nothing." Shrugging his shoulders, Leonard held out his hands. "I go back to my life, and leave you to yours."

"No strings?"

"Only if you don't want them." He sneered, as he wiggled his brows suggestively.

"You're sick."

"It's a gift." Leonard fired back. "And don't pretend the thought isn't just a little intriguing."

"I just threw up in my mouth."

Rolling his eyes at her blatant attempt of being unaffected, Leonard pulled the conversation back to safer ground. "So about that favor. It's there whenever you need it. Take some time figuring out -."

"I want to you steal a vile of the Seraphim's Cure from Central City Pharmaceutical." The words poured off her tongue, and the silence that greeted her made her palms break out in a sweat.

"A girl who knows what she wants." Looking at her as though he was trying to figure out the world's most difficult puzzle, Leonard clucked his tongue a few more times before tilting his head to the side.

"Central City Pharmaceuticals has the most advance security systems on the market."

"I know."

"Their backup systems have back-up systems."

"I know."

"And the Seraphim's cure is their most coveted of all medical wonders."

"I know." Charlie ground out, tears of frustration threatening to gather in the corner of her eyes. "I know all of this. I know who created it, why it was created, and how flipping hard it is to get. You're the one who wanted me to name a favor. That's the only one I want."

"Charlotte, that's not a favor – that's a miracle." Leonard snorted at the idea.

"So, you can't do it."

"I didn't say that." He murmured. "Jobs like the one you're asking . . . they take time. I was kinda hoping this favor would be less consuming."

"Well you did say your life was worth a lot to you." Charlie snapped,

"Now don't get your panties in a twist." Running a hand over his stubbly head, he moved to the other side of the room, before pivoting and returning to his original spot. "It'll take at least five – maybe six months to pull everything together."

"No, that's not good enough." Charlie pushed. "It has to be before the new year." Shaking her head to the point she almost saw stars, she missed the startled look on Leonard's face.

"Sweetheart, you're cute, I'll give you that. Plus, I owe you for saving me. But what you're asking, it'd be a suicide mission. Why the short notice?"

"As of the first of January, they discontinue manufacturing it."

"Why would they do that?" His words were like a purr, and Charlie could almost swear she could see him trying to work the puzzle out in his head.

"Because anyone who needed it already coughed up the ten grand for the shot, the rest – well they're either dead or too far gone."

"Then ask me to rob a bank for the 10 grand and buy the cure, your Gram didn't look all that far gone to me."

"I – You know why I can't do that." When he didn't reply, she let out a sound that was stuck between a groan and a whine as he did nothing but stand by waiting for her to spell it out for him. "Because I -." Licking at her suddenly dry lips, Charlie hated how she'd been forced into a corner. "She shouldn't be alive."

"You've been healing her." As if he hadn't already known.

"I can't heal her." The words fell off her tongue before she could stop them, but once they were out it felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. No one else knew, because once she'd realized just how dangerous her powers were to have, she'd kept her mouth shut. "At first when she got sick, I was stupid enough to believe I cured her, but after three months the symptoms came back. Each time I used my healing on her the time between lessened. Now I heal her once a week. Some days are good . . . others – well they're not so good. Basically, I can't even buy the cure now, because I stopped taking her to the doctors and they probably think she's all but dead."

"So basically, the only way to help your Gram is this ten grand cure, that we can't buy, but I have to steal." Leonard watched as she nodded. "Further, instead of months to be able to come up with a careful plan, I have three and a half weeks."

"Yes."

"Would you also like a unicorn?" He suddenly spat, as he made a face. "Less than a month isn't enough time. I need blueprints, information on their system, employees, deliveries- "

"I have information." Brushing past him as she flung her closet doors open, Charlie pulled out a black plastic tote, then a green one, followed by a blue one. "When I first found out about the stupid cure, and how the insurance company refused to pay for it, I felt helpless and needed to do something. I know you'll find this stupid, but I guess I thought with enough information I could figure out a way to get into that fortress of a building, grab a vile, and sneak off. Logically? I knew I never could do it, but fooled myself by thinking with just a little more intel, I'd figure out their Achilles heel."

"That's a lot of information." Eyeing the totes, Leonard let out a long shrill whistle.

"I had a lot of time on my hands, and anger to burn through." Tucking her hair behind her ear, Charlie threw open the lid on the blue tote, and dug around. "Their Christmas party is in two weeks."

"So."

"It's the closest thing I ever found to an Achilles heel." Pulling out a packet of papers, she held them out to him, and made the mistake of meeting his eyes head on. It felt as though he was seeing right into her soul, and it made her feel naked and vulnerable. Finally, after an eternity, he took the packet and let his eyes drop to the pages.

"Very interesting." Deep in thought, his eyes scanning the words on the page, he frowned a few times as he took a step back, then another until he could sit on the edge of the bed. "The only problem, this is from two years ago."

"I know." Fidgeting now, looking ashamed, Charlie found it impossible to look him in the eye. "Where I work . . . I occasionally bump into a few of the company's employees."

"You mean the stripclub where you dance." Leonard clarified blandly, his eyes still reading through the pages. "If you can't say it, you shouldn't be doing it."

Shooting him a glance, she folded her arms across her chest and instantly wanted to punch him in the face when he smirked. "Anyways, one of them complained that the Christmas party was the same every year. The person in charge hates the job and doesn't change anything up."

"You got this all on your own?" Looking at the totes, then back at her, Leonard dropped the papers onto the bed and grabbed her by the arm.

Not sure why he suddenly looked so serious, Charlie struggled to keep up with the conversation. "Yes – well besides the information . . . from the employees."

"And no one else knows you've got any of this?"

"No one."

Letting her go, he took a step back, put his hands on his hips and stared up at the ceiling. "You're sure you don't want the unicorn?"

"Positive."

"Fine." Snapping his head back down and staring at her intently, he held up a hand. "On one condition."

"What?"

"I'm gonna need help." Reading the confusion on her face, he smirked. "If I had time, I'd keep you far from this thing, you being an innocent novice and all that, but a few weeks?" Leonard shook his head. "No can do. You've got the intel, probably more than we'll ever need. You want me to steal your Gram's cure before the end of the year, it's gonna be all hands-on deck."

"How?" Charlie demanded. "Between taking care of my Gram, my little sister and working at night, I have zero free time. I have to be here, not running off."

It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her it wasn't his problem, but something made him stop. Maybe it was the dark circles around her eyes, or the shadows staring back at him, but Leonard contemplated the options before him. "Fine, I'm feeling charitable. I'll come here. It makes the most sense if you think about it."

"Absolutely not!" Charlie laughed. "My Grams already thinks you've 'come-a-calling'."

"Does she now?" The smirk slithered over his mouth, and Charlie could swear his eyes nearly sparkled. "Then we'll just let her keep thinking it. Gives me a reason to be here."

"No."

"You sure? I am a catch – or so I've been told."

"No."

"I've had I my shots."

"Gross, and still no." Charlie stomped her foot. "This may sound stupid to you, but that woman upstairs raised me and my sister. She doesn't deserve to be lied to like that, to have her weakness from being sick exploited. I owe it to her."

"It's either this, or you need to come up with a new favor." Leonard responded with zero trace of any humor. "We could just tell her the truth. I'm a wanted criminal, you've got healing powers and swing around a pole at night for tips, and together we're gonna steal her a cure? I'm okay with that too."

"You're being serious."

"I owe you a life debt, what better way to pay it back than to repay it with a life?" He waited silently for a minute, letting her comb through all her options. "So, what's it gonna be? Will you go steady with me, or do you want the magical unicorn?"

"I'm so going to regret this." Closing her eyes at his sudden glee, Charlie heard her Gram call for dinner at the top of the stairs.

"After you pumpkin."

"Oh bite me."


	4. Chapter 4

Author's Note: I really hadn't meant to take so long in updating this, and not really sure if anyone is still reading. So yeah, sorry about that. I also should apologize for the horrid mistakes so far. (Not that I can promise it won't happen again.) So here you go, hope you have a little fun.

* * *

 **Chapter Four**

Taking the steps as if they were leading to her ultimate doom, Charlie let out a mortifying squeak when a pair of hands firmly gripped her hips from behind and gave her an unhelpful nudge. Looking over her shoulder to send him a scathing glare, she was met by his amused expression, as the tip of her shoe hit the top of the next step and nearly landed on her face. Instead of having her face meet wood, she was tugged back to safety and into a very firm chest.

"You're a walking nightmare, aren't you?" His mouth was next to her ear, and Charlie ignored the shiver his hot breath created and tried to wiggle out of his hold. The more she struggled, the closer she found herself pinned against him.

"Its not everyday I bring a wanted criminal to dinner." She hissed back, trying to elbow him in the ribs, only to have him easily dodge the blow. His maneuver in doing so made her head spin, and when her world righted her back was no longer pinned against him. Instead, due to her being on a higher step, she was staring into his piercing blue eyes. Refusing to acknowledge the way her face burned over his easy manipulation.

"From my little chat with Gram's earlier, I was under the impression you've never brought anyone to dinner." Leonard's smug grin lessened when he saw the flash of hurt flicker in her eyes. What had been easy, fun banter, meant to lighten the situation, suddenly felt like he'd lobbed a grenade at her instead. He took note of how quickly she recovered, before slipping from his hold. "Criminal or otherwise."

"This is a bad idea." Making to retreat back down the stairs she'd previously taken a snails pace, Charlie felt her knees start to shake. "What am I doing? I can't have you sitting down to eat with my family. I don't even know you." Placing a hand on the wall, she used it to keep from falling on her face while trying to brush past Leonard, who was looking at her as though she was all shades of crazy. "I mean I know you, you're Leonard-Freaking-Snart. Who robs banks and kills people. What kind of granddaughter am I?"

Feeling she could've done the polite thing, and had this melt down earlier, Leonard let out a sigh before moving quickly. Putting his hand over her mouth, and pulling her slender frame against his, he tried to keep his annoyance from showing on his face. "Am I a thief? Yes, a very – very good one. Have I killed people before?" Frowning, he shifted under her stunned glare. "I have. Because the world I live in is dangerous, and bad things happen. Am I going to hurt your family? No."

Seeing her distrust, he didn't let his gaze waver. "I don't hurt the small people. There's nothing in it for me. No glory in kicking a dog who's already down. I may be a lot of things, but I don't renege on a promise. So, we're gonna go up there, sit down and have a nice meal with a real nice old lady. Then we'll convene back in your room and come up with a game plan."

Feeling her taunt muscles relax, and her erratic breathing slow into slow deep breaths, he let his hand covering her mouth fall. Not willing to to completely let her go he kept her body pinned against his, tensed and waiting for another round of crazy to come spewing out of the tiny package.

"I have to go to work after dinner." Her words were barely above a whisper, but she took a step back and he let his hold on her go.

"Work?"

"Yes, work." Pulling her hair up into a ponytail, she ignored the sneer forming on his mouth, taking a moment to collect herself. "Someone stole my bill money a few days ago. You may not kick dogs who are down on their luck, but you really know where to aim when it comes to strippers."

With that, Charlie pushed past him and headed back up the stairs.

Frozen for a moment, as a foreign feeling itched at the inside of his gut, Leonard titled his head to the side and contemplated the current state of affairs. On the one hand, the very possibility of pulling off the heist of the century, in just three weeks, gave him feelings of pure giddiness. Though the payout was nil monetarily, the rush from the ultimate high of cracking a company like Central City Pharmaceuticals was the best Christmas gift he could give himself. It was the unpredictable variable dampening his potential glee, who was currently talking to herself at the top of the stairs. Petite, feisty, and slightly unhinged. Seriously, the girl hadn't behaved as he anticipated.

Taking the stairs two at a time, he easily caught up to her and ignored the frustrated glare she sent him before forcing a smile on her face.

"Smell's good." Hurrying away from his side, she placed a kiss on the older woman's cheek. "Why don't you sit down, let me finish up."

"Don't be silly Bean." Shooing Charlie away from the stove, Adele Donavon ladled steaming stew into a bowl. Her Granddaughter's eyes watching her with uncensored worry.

"What can I do to help?" Stepping in, he placed a hand on Charlie's shoulder, squeezing when she tried to shrug it off.

"Don't be silly, you're a guest." Adele scoffed, before turning her attention to her granddaughter. "Charlie Bean, why don't you go get your sister. Tell her dinner is ready."

Looking torn, Charlie let out a sigh when her Grandmother sent her a 'don't mess with me' look. "Fine, I just don't see what the fuss is all about."

With one last glance of concern, Charlie slipped out of his grasp, leaving him alone in the kitchen with the older woman. What could go wrong?

"So, tell me, how did you meet my little Charlie?"

Now that was problematic. Not having created a backstory, Leonard cast a look in the direction of where Charlie slipped off, hoping his voice carried. "Met her at Jitters, a coffee shop in Central City. She nearly dumped her coffee on me."

With a snort of laughter, Granny Donavon shook her head. "I swear that girl doesn't have a graceful bone in her body. When she was five, she broke her nose during a dance recital."

A smirk tugged at his lips. "So, she dances?"

"Charlie?" Picking up two bowls and taking them to the table, she clucked her tongue. "I love my granddaughter dearly, and the good lord blessed her with many talents, dancing isn't one of them."

"You don't say." Biting down on the inside of his cheek, Leonard tried to contain his mirth.

"Charlie is a smart cookie, was top of her class." Motioning him to take a seat, she put a bowl in front of him. "She takes too much on herself. "

He didn't know what to say to that. Really, was there anything he could say? "She sure is something."

"Listen to me boy." Putting a glass of milk down on the table, she gave him a brittle smile that didn't reach her eyes. "You hurt my girl, you'll rue the day you crossed me."

Had he been another poor schmuck, he may have found Adele's threat cute. But he wasn't any other schmuck and had a lifetime of hard lessons when it came to reading people. Even with one foot out the door, he could see the defensive gleam in the woman's eyes. The old broad looked serious when it came to protecting one of her cubs.

"So, what is it that you do?" Just like that, warm returned to her eyes and she handed him a napkin before shuffling back to the kitchen counter. With her back to him, she missed the frown tugging on Leonard's lips, or the way he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"He's a guard at Iron Heights." Charlie's smooth as honey voice taunted him from behind, as she sashayed into the kitchen, sending him a covert smirk. Hardy-har-har, he was going to make her pay for that.

"A guard?" This seemed to humor the old lady, as she held out two bowls for Charlie to take. "Where's your sister?"

"Said she wasn't hungry." Even if her face didn't portray her irritation, Leonard could sense the annoyance in her clipped words.

These words didn't seem to sit well. Adele slapped the ladle she'd been using down onto the counter top. "Coralyn Faith Donavon, get your butt to the table."

Blinking, Leonard watched as Charlie took the seat next to him and lifted a brow. She only shrugged back at him, her eyes on her Grandmother. It didn't take long until the tell-tale sound of a petulant teenager came stomping down the hallway. Boy did it bring back memories of Lisa of when she was younger, and truth be told, last week when he'd 'borrowed' her Radio Frequency Code Grabber.

"This is stupid." A shorter, more toxic version of Charlie, slumped down into one of the empty chairs and sent a scathing scowl toward her older sister. "Who's this?"

Feeling the little snot's attention settling on him, Leonard shifted his eyes to meet hers and let his lip curl just a little. Purposely staying silent he fought the urge to leer as the younger girl grew uncomfortable. It was the same tactic he used to use on Lisa when she was a mouthy, bitchy teen. Apparently, he still had it.

"Michael."

"He's Charlie's guest, Cory." Adele took her seat. "Mind your manners."

A bark of laughter burst from Cory's mouth. "He's Charlie's guest?" Grabbing a roll from the center of the table she snickered. "Is he gay?"

Blinking a few times, Leonard contemplated the odds of Charlie being upset if he strangled her baby sister before breaking bread.

"Coralyn!" Looking utterly shocked, Adele swatted the brat upside the head.

"What?" Cory asked, as if she hadn't done anything wrong. "It'd be the only reason why someone who looks like him, would spend any time with her."

This, right here was why he didn't do family dinners.

Sitting back, he weighed his options. He could let this little scam of a dinner implode, which would get him away from these dysfunctional women, and to the nearest bar where he could toast his lone wolf status. Or he could dig in, learn what he could of Charlotte Grace Donovan, because if he was going to pull off the impossible, knowing everything about Charlie, and what made her tick was imperative.

Right now, she was humiliated. Her cheeks were pink, and the way her nostrils flared a few times, was having a hell of a time keeping her mouth shut. The desire to retaliate was swallowed down, when her eyes flittered momentarily to where her Grandmother sat. It showed she had some discipline, but they were going to have to work on keeping her emotions off her face.

If he was going to suffer, he was going to have some fun doing it.

"Now is that anyway to talk around your Grandmother?" Tone direct, eyes unwavering, Leonard felt a deep satisfaction when Cora-Snot's disgruntled expression waivered. When she finally dropped her eyes, he felt a smug over her discomfort.

"Dinner looks divine Miss Adele." Using every scrap of charm he possessed, he gave the older woman a quick smile. "Charlotte, can you please pass the pepper?"

Delighted that her nose crinkled before pushing the shaker in his direction, he gave her a wink when she huffed.

The table fell silent as everyone tucked in, giving Leonard time to read the tables occupants. Though the Donavon matriarch was spunky, he could see exhaustion creeping in around her eyes. She was a tough cookie, who resented the illness that took her away from taking care of her family. He couldn't help but admire her and bet in her prime kept a firm hold of the Donavon household. Though he didn't really have a firm grasp on how the girls ended up in their Grandmother's care, he sensed Adele had overseen them for some time.

Cora-snot was a teenager dealing with her world being set off balance. Anger simmered behind her eyes, frustration oozed from her pores. There was a battle field of emotions raging inside her petite frame. Her Grandmother was sick and dying before her eyes. It was a rough knock to take, but her situation wasn't unique.

Charlie on the other hand, was stretched thin. Too many lies to keep straight, a household to keep running and an ailing grandmother to take care of. Added to her overflowing plate, was a teenager who was determined to make her sister as miserable as the tiny tot felt inside.

"So you weren't lying." Moving her stew around in her bowl, Cory leveled a glare at her sister.

Looking momentarily puzzled, Charlie set down her spoon and looked at her sister wearily. "What are you talking about?"

"You really were being probed the other night." Cory smirked.

That little shit.

Startled speechless, Charlie blinked a few times before giving her grandmother a forced smile. "Dinner was great Gram. Excuse me, I need to get ready for work." Slipping from the table, she hurried to the stairs that led to her sanctuary, leaving Leonard to fend for himself.

Good.

"What your sister and I do - or don't do - is none of your business. Little girls like you should mind their p's and q's, and let the adults worry about the rest." Wiping the corner of his mouth, he let his words sink in before turning a cold glare at the stunned teen. Enjoying her flinch, he moved his attention to the older woman. "Let me clear the table."

Making quick work of his and Charlie's dishes, he returned to the table and took Adele's empty bowl. "Why don't you rest and let Coralyn take care of the rest."

The older woman paused, before patting his hand kindly. Helping her stand, he caught the mirth twinkling back from her eyes. "It was nice to meet you."

She shuffled past him, and down the hallway. When he heard a door close, he was quick to drop the bowl down in front of the teen, snickering when some of the gravy splashed out and hit her in the face.

"It's wash, rinse and dry." With that, he headed to the stairs.

* * *

"Can we do that again?" Stalking through her bedroom door, Leonard made his way to Charlie's bed, plopping down in the center and pulling Gus the hippopotamus up to his chest. "Your baby sister – what a delightful little witch. Why you haven't tied her to a stake is beyond me."

"She used to be different." Charlie frowned, as her eyes went to a picture on her dresser where a picture of her sister from better days sat.

"Before your Grandmother got sick." Leonard sighed.

"Before S.T.A.R. labs screwed my family." Charlie corrected.

Intrigued, because honestly, he was under the impression everyone else forgot just how badly those geeks messed up, he sat up a little and watched as the strawberry blonde shoved clothing into a duffel bag, like it had done her some huge injustice. "Here I though you wanted to put the screws to the big mean Pharmaceutical company."

Charlie paused, shifting her attention to him, feeling slightly uncomfortable at the way he was studying her. It was unnerving, how a simple look could make her feel naked and utterly exposed. "I just want the serum from them. They're douchebags for over charging for their miracle cure. But what they're doing is nothing new. They over charge for all necessary drugs. Insulin, epi pens, and Revlimid to name a few. The cost for prescriptions can bankrupt families."

"S.T.A.R. labs on the other hand, sold a bill of goods to this town. They used their scientific mumbo jumbo to talk circles around the city council when they proposed the construction. Promises of a huge financial payout baited the politician's greed. When everything went to hell in a hand-basket, they played ignorant to the pain they forced on Central City and its suburbs. Their little snafu gave my Grandmother some mutant cancer, and I . . . I'm a freak. If there was anyone I wanted to put the screws to, its them."

"Interesting." Leonard laid back down, mulling over her words. "So why didn't you use your Free Card on getting back at S.T.A.R. labs?"

"Because my revenge isn't going to help my Grandmother." Charlie replied matter of fact, as if it was the most obvious answer. "And now I'm late."

"Then perhaps we should get going." Nodding he went to sit up.

"We?" All color fled drained from her face. "There's no we. There's a me, who needs to get going. And there's a you, who needs to leave and go where ever it is that you go to."

"Charlotte, for me to complete the impossible, I need full access to the information you have. Because we have such a small window to complete this miracle, I need you to assist me. For this to work, I need to know everything that makes Charlotte Grace Donovan tick. I need to know your strengths, your weaknesses, and how you stand up under pressure."

Charlie frowned, frustrated that his words made sense. But just because she understood the words coming out of his mouth, it didn't mean she wanted him anywhere near Diamond's when she was working. There were only so many hits her ego could take. "You can stay here."

"What would your Grandmother think of that?" Waggling his brows suggestively, he laughed at the look he gave him.

"I'll let her think you're gay." Charlie grinned cheekily back at him, feeling a just a little vindicated by getting the upper hand.

A snake like smile stretched at his lips, as he rolled onto his side. "Careful Charlotte, you're gonna start a game you will never win. Scamper off, I need some me time."


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note : Totally forgot how fun writing can be. A week off from work doesn't hurt either. Thank you for the feedback, and to be honest, helps feed the plot bunny. Please let me know whatcha think.

* * *

 **Chapter Five**

To say her head wasn't into swindling the clientele of Diamonds out of their hard-earned money was an understatement. Knowing Leonard Snart was currently unsupervised in her bedroom, doing lord knows what, stretched on her very last nerve. It wasn't concerned he'd go snooping through her things, she knew the second her back was turned he'd started poking around. There was nothing of real value for a thief to take, no huge secret he hadn't already been made aware of, and Leonard Snart was most likely bored to tears going through her stuff.

She wasn't a stupid person by nature, well not typically. Nor was she someone who trusted easily. There were so many ways this thing could explode in her face. If something did happen, she would have only herself to blame because she'd just left a guy, who'd tied her to a chair and threatened her only a few days ago, stay for dinner and remain behind in her home. All because he threw her a bone by promising to do the one thing, she hadn't been able to accomplish herself. It only proved she was willing to do anything to cure her Grams, even if it meant allowing the Devil himself into their lives.

Leonard Snart was the Devil, there was no doubt about it. No one had the right to look that good. Six foot of walking sin. The thief oozed sex appeal, with dark angelic looks, cat like eyes, and lips that could probably deliver one helluva punch. If that weren't enough to fry a girl's senses, his voice was smooth and hypnotic. Yeah, Leonard Snart may look and sound like an angel, but even Lucifer had been an angel once.

"Pull it together Charlie." Snapping her finger in front of Charlie's face, Daphne pushed a drink over the bar. "It's a good crowd tonight."

Blinking a few times, Charlie cleared her foggy mind. Turning her attention to the impatient barkeeper, she let out a sigh.

"Easy for you to say." Taking the drink without a second thought, Charlie chugged it down. "You don't have a G-string ridding up your butt."

"Who's saying I'm wearing underwear?" The bartender chuckled dryly, as she prepared a few more drinks. "Take these over to that table."

Following the direction Daphne nodded to, Charlie took in the table and its occupants. "The guy in the bland Dad sweater is your mark. Newly divorced, three drinks in, he's prepped and ready to hand over his money."

Eyeing the man, Charlie tried to see what Daphne did. He was completely boring, from his Supercut haircut to the embarrassing sweater. "How do you know this stuff?"

Daphne gave her a 'who are you kidding' look, before chuckling. "Sweetheart, I've made a lot of money reading people."

"Then teach me." Charlie begged. "Teach me sensei."

"Listen and learn, and if I go too fast, take notes." Daphne smirked. "See the way he keeps rubbing his finger where his wedding band would be? That's not a guy who's misplaced his ball and chain for a night, it's a guy who's having a hard time with change. And if you ask me, he's not really dealing with it all that well."

"His buddies, if you want to call them that, are having the time of their lives. Acting like the jackwads their dear Momma's raised them to be. But our boy there, fresh out of divorce court, he's forcing himself to have a good time. Laughing a little too hard, just a few seconds after the rest do. Drinking when his pals drink. Tipping when they tip. He's a fish outta water. A sad, floppy fish. You go over there, he's going to do what he thinks is expected. He's your piggy bank."

Eyeballing Daphne, Charlie couldn't help but admire the woman. "You're a little scary."

"And you're still a bleeding heart Darlin." Daphne frowned. "Stop being Charlie, start being the person who gave up her dignity to keep her family afloat. You've got it in you, just play a part. When work is over shed that person and start being Charlie again."

"Stop being Charlie." Taking a sip of the drink intended for her customers, Charlie processed Daphne's advice.

"Now stop talking to yourself and go make Momma proud." Nodding to the table, Daphne sighed when Charlie didn't immediately move. "Like now Charlie, before that skank Lanora gets there first."

The newly divorced mark, whose name was oddly enough Mark, was boring as he looked. As in late night infomercial, paint drying, fantasy football kind of boring. He was a Middle School teacher, and after twenty minutes of his bland, mind numbing mumbling, Charlie was ready to find ways of offing herself.

His friends on the other hand were douchebags of the highest order. Hand slapping, crotch itching, grabby Neanderthals. After extracting enough to get her electricity bill out of the past due status, she gave the divorcee a brittle smile before offering to get him a refill.

"Having fun?" Daphne asked with a knowing smile.

"Tell me what it would take to suck his asshole friends dry." Picking at the label of an empty beer bottle, Charlie cast a glance over her shoulder to where Mark-the-mark was taking a ribbing from his pals. It was almost like reliving eight grade all over again.

"I don't know Charlie." Slinging a towel over her shoulder, Daphne sighed as she studied the table. "To be honest, I think they're already tapped. Besides those has been jocks would only pull out their wallets if they thought they were gonna get some in the private dance room."

Making a face, Charlie shook her head. "Ick. Not gonna happen. I'll leave them for the other girls."

"Smart choice." Daphne's smile slipped, and Charlie looked at what caused the change. Staggering to the bar, Diamond's overpaid manager scowled at her.

"Do I pay you to sit around and gossip?" Six feet of pure nasty oozed up to the bar, putting Charlie's teeth on edge and Spidey senses on high alert. He was a beefy, sweaty jerk, who liked to dress in suits thinking it made him look tough and sophisticated, like an extra from the Sopranos. In reality, he looked like some sleazy guy named Vinny, selling used cars.

"You don't actually pay me." Charlie muttered, as she went to pick up the fresh drinks Daphne pushed toward her. Only to have Rick-the-dick grab her arm in his strong clammy grip.

"Are you talking back?" His grip was tight, and her nose could smell Bourbon. Lots and lots of Bourbon.

"Rick." Daphne snapped, gaining the bar manager's attention.

"What?"

"You're wasted and customers are staring. Manhandling Charlie like a drunk cretin is gonna get the cops called. Or have one of these cowboys jumping in to save the pretty girl."

Whether the threat of having the cops called, or having to confront one of the bars patrons, Rick let go of her arm.

"Perhaps you should be keeping an eye on Taryn. She just lifted her second wallet." Nodding to where a redhead was tucking her latest acquisition down the top of her dress, Daphne rolled her eyes when the bar's manager looked confused. "She just stole from Judge Drexel."

"Crap." Rick snapped, while Charlie watched in stunned shock as Rick hurried off.

"Did that just happen?" Rubbing her wrist, Charlie looked at Daphne in disbelief.

Shaking her head, the bartender shrugged. "When he drinks the hard stuff, he really gets hit by the stupid stick."

"No not Rick." Charlie watched as Taryn argued with Rick. "He's usually an ass. Does Taryn usual lift wallets from the customers?"

"Only when rents due and she made a few bad bets down on the waterfront." Wiping her hands on a towel, Daphne let out a sigh. "She's a good girl really. Has a younger brother with special needs, and a mother who's bone tired from working two jobs."

"Huh." Charlie said, clearly not knowing this.

"I know you like to keep to yourself, but there's some great girls working here." Daphne paused what she was doing and put her serious face on. "Bethany is working her way through college, wants to be a Kindergarten teacher. Kayla, can come off as a stuck-up bitch, but she's been burned – bad."

"What about Lanora?" Watching as the tall blonde sat down on Mark-the mark's lap, Charlie rolled her eyes. Lanora was a vulture.

"And there's some not some great girls working here." Daphne laughed. "All I'm saying is it wouldn't hurt you to make some friends. Most of these girls are like you. They're good people, who are just trying to get by until they figure out how to fix their messy lives."

"I doubt any of there lives are as complicated as mine right now." Picking up a shot, Charlie quickly knocked it back, wondering what kind of moron let Leonard Snart into their home.

* * *

Charlie was an odd duck. A clever, duck, but very-very odd one. A pretty odd duck, with a scary brilliant mind.

Her horde of information was top shelf. She had blue prints, not just from recent upgrades over the last few decades, but the originals. How in the hell did she get her hands on the original plans? It didn't stop there. She had personnel files, background information on some of the company's top executives down to the custodial staff. The little spitfire had somehow obtained the original patent submitted months after the explosion, as well as the second request when the first was denied.

There was a reason Charlie was at a standstill, she was on what he would call 'information overload'. For him to think there was too much information was saying something.

Going after what she considered the company's Achilles heel, he had to admit, though only to himself, was brilliant. The company Christmas party was the best way in. The magnitude of ways they could infiltrate the party, catering staff, security, celebratory attendee, it made him feel like Christmas came early. So many possibilities.

Resorting Charlotte's treasure of intel into more manageable bites, Leonard frowned when his eyes landed on a folder at the bottom of the blue tote he'd all but emptied. Now, how had he missed that?

"What do we have here?" Cocking his head to the side, Leonard hummed to himself as he ticked off in his head what had come from the blue tote. It had possessed some of the more tedious, but still remarkable, items. The blueprints, all of them, had been staked neatly in the tote. Huh, blue for blueprints.

The black tote contained information from the company's inception, the original founders up to the schmucks who ran things now. There had been files on past court cases, some won – a few lost. Other files contained information on every drug currently being and once had been created there.

Inside the green tote was the personnel information. Background information on the players from the CEO down to the poor schlub who scrubbed the toilets. There was also information on some of the patients who had been financially blessed to procure the miracle. The amount of information she had on each and every one of them made his eyes bleed. Most impressive were the surveillance photos of each subject. Scary. The girl was terrifying.

Intrigued, he snatched the leather folder off the bottom of the tote and flipped it open. Scanning the information inside, his frown deepened into a scowl. Sitting down heavily onto the bed, he set the folder down on his lap and started to sift from one article to the next.

Sudden clarity. Bone chilling clarity.

Springing off the bed, he quickly dropped the offending article back into the tote, then unconsciously wiped his hands on his pants and let out a sigh.

Enough with work.

He took a moment to take a quick scan over Charlie's personal domain. Moving to the outer room, he took in the makeshift living room with calculating eyes. Moving around the furniture with his hands clasped behind his back. To some it would appear totally normal. Couch, coffee table, television set, normal. But he knew how to peel back the layers.

The room was too neat compared to controlled chaos of the bedroom. A nursing magazine on the coffee table was nearly a year out of date. The calendar on the wall was also out of date, two years out of date. There was a pile of bills on shelf, and by the looks of it, Charlotte was barely keeping the Donavon household above water.

Electric, water, hospital, student loans. Shuffling the pile, his mouth pinched.

Yeah, S.T.A.R. labs seriously screwed up. They'd blown up a section of the city, infected a portion of the city's population with powers. What wasn't being highly advertised was the messy sickness they'd gifted hundreds of babies and old people with. Those geeks thought he was evil? Their body count nearly tripled his.

Tossing the envelopes back where he found them, he returned to the bedroom. Letting his eyes strip the layers away, like an archeologist carefully swept away debris to find history. The top layer told him what he already knew. Charlotte was running on fumes. Laundry was piling up. Jeans mixed with hoodies. Empty coffee cups discarded on the dresser. She barely had time to keep up with the basics, and zero time for fun.

Had Charlie possessed even the slightest of a social life, her laundry would consist of more than jeans and hoodies. When a girl looked like Charlie, there would be dressier, more alluring clothing mixed in with the rest. The dresser would contain a mixture of cosmetics, and other odds and ends females felt they needed to primp for a night on the town.

The next layer was from her days as a diligent student. An old text book half hidden by a winter jacket. A laptop with a layer of dust, and a printer currently being used as a plant stand on the floor next to the desk. Opening one of the desk drawers he found graded reports, notebooks and a nest of pens and nobbled on pencils.

And the last layer. Childhood. His eyes shifted to where Gus sat. The hippo had been through a lot, with its missing ear and stitching. It probably had once been a vibrant purple, and after several washings was a pale lilac. Striding to the closet he flung open the door and grabbed a box off the shelf he'd spotted when Charlotte pulled out the totes.

Flipping the lid off, he looked as a treasure trove inside and let out a sigh as his eyes landed on picture of a younger Charlie, decked out in Graduation garb. She stood next to a much healthier looking Adele, and if his eyes didn't deceive him, a little sister who hadn't yet grown horns and a tail. Tucking the picture into his back pocket he picked up a few more items. The rest of the box contained odds and ends. Report cards, more pictures, and a medal from a third-grade spelling bee.

"Peculiar." Leonard frowned and sifted more thoroughly through the contents. With narrowed eyes, he shoved the lid back on the top and returned the box to the shelf.

Returning to the intel on Central City Pharmaceutical he reorganized the information and stacked the totes in the corner. Grabbing his jacket off a chair in the corner he headed to the stairs while making formulating plans in his head.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: The pause in this story was due to a promotion/exhaustion/and a muse on strike. I am honestly having a great time again, and really hope ya'll enjoy. Please share any feedback. Let me know whatcha like, and what you feel is off.

* * *

 **Chapter Six**

"Mick." Bellowing his partners name as he breezed through their newly acquired residence, Leonard tossed his jacket at the base of the stairs and kept on walking. The foreclosure had been Lisa's brilliant find, and with the right financial incentive, the geeky, sexually deprived banker in charge of getting it back on the market was turning a blind eye.

"What?" The large man bellowed back from what sounded like the direction of the kitchen.

"Change of plans." Striding into the kitchen, not at all surprised his partner had a mouthful of what appeared to be a pastrami on rye, Leonard wondered at his buddy's ability to eat twenty-four seven. Perhaps on second thought, it would be even more odd if Mick wasn't eating.

Placing his hands down flat onto the counter Leonard leaned forward and frowned, contemplating how to explain the current predicament. His partner wasn't going to like having their holiday plans diverted. Mick would especially hate that their plans were being destroyed over something he wouldn't understand, like the burning need to eradicate a sense of obligation.

"Change?" Nearly slam dunking his snack down on a plate in agitation, Mick's face scrunched, predictably annoyed. "No. No change. My bags are packed Snart. You promised me bunnies."

"Yeah. Bunnies are nice." Leonard sighed in frustration. "And buddy I know we really deserve the bunnies. But I've got a little job to do."

"What about what you said? About Christmas time being the worst time to do a job?"

Stunned that his friend had retained that little bit of information, Leonard gave a curt nod. "I still stand by that. Too many witnesses, too many extra guards, too much crazy to deal with."

"Does this job have anything to do with that pretty little ginger from the other day?" Now that was not something Leonard had anticipated.

Trying not to smile, Leonard huffed. "I wouldn't say pretty."

"Yeah she was." Picking his sandwich back up, Mick took a huge bite, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Plus, the rack on her."

Gritting his teeth when Mick let out a long whistle, Leonard reminded himself to remain calm. "This job is more about repaying of a debt."

"What debt?" Narrowing his eyes, Mick stopped chewing.

"The little matter of saving my life."

Shrugging his beefy shoulders, Mick frowned. "It's not like you asked her to do it."

"No." Leonard drawled. "Doesn't mean I didn't appreciate it."

"Let me get this straight. We're missing out on ski bunnies, so we can do a job, for a dame you don't even think is pretty, because you don't want to owe someone something." Not looking too pleased, Mick pushed his sandwich across the counter. "Do I get to burn something down?"

"It's not that kind of job."

"Do I get to hurt someone"

"Not that kind of job." Leonard spoke slowly.

"What will I be doing?" Mick snapped.

"Still working out the details." Knowing his old pal was at the end of his rope, Leonard pushed away from the counter. "I need to pack a bag or two."

"Why?" Confusion was written all over Mick's face.

"I'll be spending some time at my fake girlfriend's house." Leonard tossed over his shoulder as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

"The pretty ginger?"

"Yes Mick." Leonard replied as he reached the base of the steps and smirked. "The very pretty ginger."

* * *

"Rise and shine, my precious little dumpling." Nudging the edge of the bed with the sole of his boot, Leonard grinned when a painful groan came from under a mountain of pillows.

Out in the living room was a pile of his luggage. Technically not his personal luggage, but luggage he'd found at the house he, Mick, and Lisa were squatting in. There was enough clothing to see him through the next couple of weeks. Odds and ends for a few specific day trips he had planned for additional surveillance and pre-set up. Then there were a few must have gadgets; tools no diabolical thief would leave home without.

While he organized for his little sojourn, he also multi-tasked. First, he reached out to Nibbles, a scary smart hacker he'd meet a few years back. He was going to need someone in his back pocket to help from the outside. Then he'd called a very frustrated Lisa. Apparently, she wasn't having much luck in hunting down her Christmas present. What he'd hoped to have been a quick debriefing, to give her the heads up that he might need some help, turned into her practically smirking over the phone at him.

After taking her taunts, and not so subtle teasing, he'd provided pertinent information to the not quiet formed planned. Basic stuff, but important stuff, that would provide a safety net when this thing went off the rails. Any thief worth his salt knew even the most thought out, well organized plan had a high tendency of imploding.

"Go away." Charlie groaned after a second nudge, and rolled onto her side, her back to him. His eyes caught a bit of something on her shoulder, but before he could decipher what he was actually seeing, she pulled the comforter up and over her head.

Clucking his tongue, a little miffed his view had been blocked, Leonard retaliated by nudging the bed once again. "Charlotte, I'm starting to think you're not a morning person."

"Stop calling me Charlotte."

A smile tugged at Leonard's mouth. She was way too easy to bait. "Are you going to sleep all day? We've got plans to make, places to be."

"What time is it?"

Flicking his wrist to see the face of his watch Leonard sighed. "Nine."

"Are you freaking kidding me?" A disgruntled groan kissed his ears.

"Early bird gets the worm and all that crap." Seeing that she wasn't going to move from the bed without some motivation, Leonard's hand yanked on the comforter. Earning him a growl, and a pillow lobbed at his face.

Struggling to sit up against the headboard, Charlie placed her head into the palm of her hands. "I really hate you."

"You're not a good liar Charlotte." Dropping the pillow she'd thrown at him to the ground, he took advantage of the sight before him. Her face may be hidden by her hands and a curtain of hair, but seeing her only clad in a pair of barely there shorts and a snug blue tank top, wasn't a worst way to start a day.

He had to admit, his fake girlfriend was extremely easy on the eyes.

He let his eyes travel from the tips of her toes, up creamy thighs sprinkled with freckles, to her tiny waist, then up her arm. The moment his eyes landed on her wrist Leonard felt any amusement bleed from him, as another emotion took its place.

"Charlotte I'm going to ask you a series of questions. And you in return will answer them."

Something about his voice gave Charlie pause. Slowly lifting her throbbing head from her hands, she chanced a look over at a very angry Leonard Snart.

"Would you say that you bruise easily?"

The question was odd, but seeing it was coming from a dangerous criminal, who was she to question it? "No. Not really."

"Did you have any bruises after our first encounter?"

She turned her head to stare at him as though he had suddenly suffered brain damage. "Encounter? You mean when you tied me to a chair and tried to scare me half to death? The encounter we had, after I had the audacity to save your life? That encounter?"

He only stared back at her, his eyes cold. When seconds nearly became a minute, he simply lifted a brow.

"No. I didn't have any bruises."

Leaning back in the chair, his hands steepled beneath his chin, Leonard breathed deeply through his nose. "Who touched you last night?"

"Excuse me?" Slightly offended, Charlie sat up straight. "I'm a stripper, not a -."

Rolling his eyes at her outburst, Leonard interrupted her. "Charlotte, you have a bruise on your arm."

Snapping her mouth shut, she looked down at her arms. "Oh."

"Yeah, oh." He mimicked dryly. "Who?"

Contemplating him for a moment, Charlie muttered underneath her breath before scooting off the bed. Grabbing a hoodie off the floor, she pulled it on and moved to leave the room. Leonard beat her to the door and blocked her escape.

"Who?" Leonard repeated.

"Why does it matter?" Charlie would have been a little flattered that someone cared, but it didn't really make any sense, when it was coming from a man how had no problem with taking her money and tying her to a chair.

Her question made him pause, and she took the opportunity to slip under his arm and into the bathroom. Shutting the door quickly before he snapped out of it, and just as quickly flipping the lock she took a deep breath. Moving to the mirror, she groaned at the reflection.

"Charlotte, we're not done discussing this." Leonard's voice floated through the door.

Picking up her toothbrush, she rolled her eyes and grabbed the toothpaste.

Her shower was quick, uneasy he'd pick the lock just because he could, that she almost forgot to rinse out the conditioner out of her hair. Pulling a towel off the rack in aggravation, she paused when she realized she was faced with a huge dilemma. "Shit."

"Forget something sweetums?"

Closing her eyes, Charlie cursed silently, before looking over to the pile of clothes she'd worn to bed, then let her eyes dart down to the damp towel wrapped around her slim frame. She knew her pajamas were basically clean, somewhat, but she hated she was going to have to put them back on, just to go to get clean clothing, only to return for privacy. But there was no way in hell she was leaving this room, wrapped only in a towel.

She really must be the only prudish stripper on the face of the earth.

With a relenting sigh, she put back on her shorts and tank top, wrapped her wet hair up in a towel and opened the door, only to be surprised when a bundle of clothes was shoved in her direction.

"We have an hour before the seminar starts." Was the only explanation he gave, and not sure how to take his sudden change in attitude, Charlie slipped back into the bathroom with a frown.

Setting down the clothing, she froze for a second before picking up the first item. "These aren't mine."

"You say it like it's a bad thing."

Going through the rest of the bundle, she paused at her bra and panties, at least those were hers. Her hands froze. Of course, that jerk perved through her underwear drawer. "Where are we going?"

"On a date." He replied dryly.

Picking up a pair of charcoal dress slacks and eyeing the rest she made a face. "Where? The library?"

"Only if you're willing to play sexy librarian."

Deciding it was better to ignore his taunt, Charlie made quick work of getting ready. Not one for high maintenance routine, she used a touch of mascara and blush. Pulling her hair back in a simple plait, she took a quick last look at the mirror.

"Sugarplum, we need to get going." Checking his watch, Leonard groaned and rolled his eyes up at the ceiling. He should've woken her up earlier.

"I feel stupid." Her tone let him know she wasn't impressed with her wardrobe. And as his eyes slipped to the now open bathroom door, he couldn't say he blamed her. But he'd chosen it, from a closet of Lisa's 'costumes', specifically to have her blend in.

* * *

"You're insane." Standing in the parking lot across the street from Central City Pharmaceuticals, Charlie looked around frantically, as Leonard stood next to her, seemingly waiting for her to have meltdown. "We can't be here."

"It's a seminar Charlotte." Knowing that laughing at her apparent alarm would probably have negative effects, Leonard let his eyes take in their surroundings. "Not a jailbreak."

The plain, professional clothing suddenly made sense, as she took in the crowd making their way into the building. It also explained why one of Central City's most wanted, looked like an accountant. A sexy accountant. "Why are we here?"

"We're here to learn about "Breast Health Awareness". Lifting up a brochure, he could barely resist the urge to leer. "I'm a firm supporter of breast health."

"Of course, you are." Rolling her eyes, Charlie grumbled. "Why are we really here?"

"I'm starting to think you don't trust me."

"Can't get nothing past you." She huffed, nowhere closer to extracting an explanation.

"No, you can't." Turning back to her car, he fished two satchel like briefcases out of the backseat. "It'd serve you well to remember that." Handing one to her, he didn't let go and waited until her eyes met his. "I'll find out you know."

Was he threatening her? Did he really think she would do something stupid like double cross him? Or that she'd get cold feet at the last second? But he could also be referring to the Rick sized bruise on her arm. She honestly couldn't tell.

Yanking on the briefcase, Charlie pulled the strap over her shoulder, trying to ignore the way Leonard kept staring at her. He was waiting for her to ask what he'd meant by his eerie comment, and she swallowed down the words she felt preprogramed to ask. She may be forced to deal with him if she were to have any chance of curing her Grams, but she didn't have to play the part of the puppet to his puppet master manipulation.

Appearing both peeved and slightly impressed she hadn't asked, Leonard put a hand on her lower back and gave a slight push. "Sooner, or later you'll tell me who hurt you. I'm a patient man."

They walked in silence, Leonard's intense eyes moving rapidly from one section to the next. At one point, his hand slipped into hers and slowed their progression. Charlie looked at him in question, but realized quickly he was up to something, and it was magnificent to watch.

She didn't know Leonard well, was pretty sure she didn't want to, but unlike the few masks he'd shown her through their limited acquaintance, Charlie was pretty sure his facial expression right now was the closest she'd ever see of the real Leonard Snart.

His eyes were softer, his mouth wasn't tipped into an almost there frown, and it was strange how much softer he looked without his jaw in constant tautness. Some people softened at furry little puppies, Leonard Snart got all ooey gooey when he was working on a job. Charlie was pretty sure his alcoholic guardian angel was crying somewhere nearby.

He must've felt her studying him. His mouth pinched, as his eyes went back to his typical squint and his back jaw clenched just a little. "We better get going, don't want to miss the breasts."


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: Greetings to anyone still reading. I have to say I'm having fun again with this writing thing. Thank you Anna for your feedback! Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

For the first twenty minutes of the universes most boring seminar on booby health, Charlie had braced herself to have the entire Central City police department come bursting through the doors and haul them out in cuffs. She may not be Central City's most wanted criminal, but she was pretty damn sure being seen strolling around in the middle of the day was pressing one's luck. His complete lack of concern over being busted was giving her an aneurysm.

Looking at her tormentor from the corner of her eye, Charlie wondered just how much attention she'd draw hitting the smirking jerk sitting so calmly next to her.

When twenty minutes had passed, and they were still in their seats and not being booked down at the station, Charlie felt her heart rate stabilize, going from a rib cracking jackhammer to the pace of a mild heart attack. Another five, and her taunt muscles loosened. Ten minutes later, the refuge the dimly lit conference room provided had her back in control, and thinking rationally. Or at least what she was passing off as rational these days.

So it wasn't all that surprising when an earth shattering epiphany slammed into her out of nowhere.

Before the explosion, she'd been a mindless sheep. Just like the schmucks around them. They were surrounded by fifty or so educated medical professionals, and not one had taken a second look in Leonard's direction, and had it been a few years ago, she would've done the same thing.

What was it with this city, and the people in it? A next-gen particle accelerator had detonated, taking out surrounding buildings, killing hundreds, mutating god only knows how many, and spreading a horrible disease. And the city stayed angry for maybe a month, two tops, until their attention was riveted by another scandal. There were newly created Metahumans, springing up all over town, and the general population just went on with their daily lives.

Leonard Snart's mugshot was flashed at least once a month on the evening news, outlining his exploits, and the idiots surrounding her and said criminal, were clueless.

Now that the adrenaline in her bloodstream had calmed, and she mulled over these new thoughts, Charlie was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. In the past, medical seminars piqued her interest, but she couldn't help but feel the one being inflicted upon her person now was utter garbage. The material itself was out of date, regurgitated crap from fifth grade health class. Worst of all, the main speaker's dull execution of the information was making her eyelids flutter shut every few minutes.

Soon the speaker's voice only became a low buzzing sound, and Charlie stopped fighting against the lull of just a few minutes of keeping her eyes shut. Leonard had been watching her from the corner of his eye, as she first slowly relaxed, until the last time she forced her eyes open after nodding off to sleep. Letting out a sigh, half tempted to nudge her awake, he decided there was time to let her rest. Slouching just a little in his seat, he smirked when her head lolled to the right and onto the shoulder of the unsuspecting woman next to her.

Shaking his head. Leonard sent the woman an apologetic smile that didn't really reach his eyes. "Sorry, she had a late night in the ER." His words seemed to ease the uncomfortable looking woman some, and he deftly repositioned Charlie so her head rolled over and settled onto the side of his arm.

After another thirty minutes, he was half tempted to join Charlie in a short nap but was relieved when the orator announced a thirty-minute intermission. The lights flickered on, and Leonard sent the woman next to Charlie a brittle smile when she stood and attempted to shuffle past. As more of the crowd thinned out, he leaned his head down.

"Ready to have some fun?" His voice startled Charlie awake. Her eyes flew open, and as she became instantly alert, her head whipping back and forth, as her brain struggled to catch up. When understanding started to seep in, she turned an accusing glance in his direction.

"You let me fall asleep?" Cheeks blushed with embarrassment, she swallowed hard and pushed away a few loose strands of hair from her face.

"You're upset with me?" Giving her an offended look, Leonard sighed. "You fell asleep on our first date. Whatever shall we tell the grandkids?"

"That they're grandma was an impressionable innocent and their grandpappy was a manipulative, diabolical jerk." The insult slipped off Charlie's tongue, as she busied herself by straightening out her clothing.

Clucking his tongue, Leonard grabbed the strap of his briefcase, before sending her a scalding look. "Careful Charlotte, or I may start thinking you're starting to warm up to me."

He was baiting her. Playing with her, like a cat would play with a cornered mouse before going in for the kill. If the raw sexual heat radiating from his eyes was from just a little teasing, god help the woman who snagged Leonard Snart's full attention.

"Follow me." Slipping out of his seat, not bothering to see if she was going to follow, Leonard headed to the doors that led to the lobby. Not having any other choice than to follow, she grabbed her bag, and hurried to catch up.

As other participants milled around, networking and basically kissing one another's asses, Leonard Snart stood in the center of the atrium, glaring at anyone who dared to invade his personal space. Even from behind, Charlie could see he was completely at ease, standing in a room of people who could at any point realize he was a wanted man.

Where he may be perfectly at ease, Charlie was starting to feel anxious again, wondering what exactly the thief was getting them into.

Gathering information on Central City Pharmaceuticals and standing within it was two very different things. Over the last two years she'd been collecting as much information as she could get her hands on. The building itself, the employees it employed, clients and subcontractors, patients, and even it's victims. She'd horded every scrap of intel she could get her greedy little hands on, but she never once actually had the gumption to step foot inside its walls.

"Are you going to tell me why were here?" Stepping up beside him, Charlie saw the starting of another smirk and cut him off. "And I know it's not about the boobs."

"If you ever need help with that self-examine just let me know." Clearly impressed with making her uncomfortable again, Leonard lifted his gaze and looked around the room. "We're casing the joint."

"Casing the joint?" Charlie mocked.

"Yes." Leonard purred. "There is much you need to learn about being a criminal."

"I don't want to be a criminal."

"You may not want to be one, but you have all the makings of being one, a good one." To Charlie's ears it almost sounded like he was giving her a compliment.

"I just want to help my Grams. Not make a claim on the criminal world."

He looked down at her, his gaze penetrating. "Lesson number one. There're different kinds of jobs. The smash and grab, larceny, robbery, burglary, fraud, the simple con, and the long con to name a few. Each one can be rewarding. The one you use depends on the amount of time you have, planning it takes and the number of players you have in motion."

"With the information you've squirreled away, and if we had more time, we could have pulled one hellavua long con on this corporation and walked away very, very rich." As he spoke, Leonard let his eyes roam around, almost as if he was searching for something. "But you've given us a sickeningly short amount of time to take just one thing. We don't really have a crew, and only one chance to get the job done. We'll be playing out a simple burglary."

"Simple?" Charlie huffed.

"Basically, it'll be a straight up job." His attention was back on her again. "Go back to your seat. When the lights dim wait five minutes and then come meet me by the little girl's room."

He brushed past her and was on the move. "Where are you going?"

"Five minutes Charlotte, wait for the lights and wait for _five_ minutes." Pausing, he looked over his shoulder. "Don't forget your bag."

"Don't worry about me." Muttering under her breath as she watched Leonard slink away, Charlie ignored the uncomfortable sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Seeing that he really was just leaving her there, surrounded by murmuring groups, she decided to head back to her seat. Soon the conference room started to fill back up, and when the lights dimmed, she took out her cell phone to keep time.

Never in her life had time moved so slowly.

When three minutes had passed, she decided she'd waited long enough, and quietly reached for the bag Leonard had insisted she bring and slipped out of her seat. Her feet moved quickly to the exit and when a few members of the audience looked her way, she forced herself to slow down.

With her heart pounding in her throat, Charlie ignored the tingling at the tips of her fingers and pushed the doors open that led back to the lobby. It was empty now that everyone cleared out, and Charlie glanced around before finding the sign leading to the woman's restroom.

Turning the corner, she let out a startled yelp when she nearly bumped into Leonard who was leaning casually against the wall. "What happened to waiting for five minutes?"

"Close enough."

"Timing is everything." Straightening up from his slouched position, his eyes rolling at her. "Just like knowing the people you're working with is everything. I knew you'd grow impatient."

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing out here?" Not liking how easily he was able to read her, Charlie tried to ignore her annoyance.

"Follow me." Moving silently down the hallway, he paused outside a doorway labeled maintenance. "Do you want to know why you couldn't quiet pin down a plan to get your pretty little hands on your Gram's cure?"

"I'm sure you're itching to tell me."

"A pure lack of experience." Shrugging, he opened the closet door and ushered her in. "Already having the blueprints was pure brilliance."

To be honest she never felt the blueprints provided much information, other than the location of the labs. Labs she would never be able to reach due to security and many locked doors. "How did the blueprints help?"

"With them, we know where every single camera is located." A huge grin flashed over his face, making him look years younger. "For instance, out in the parking lot, I was able to easily find the four cameras on the roof, pointed directly at the entrance, and fire exit on the side. The lobby had three. One pointed at the front doors, one at the far-right side to capture the lobby, and another at the entrance of the conference room. They didn't have the foresight of adding one down the hallway to the bathrooms."

"I didn't even see the cameras."

"I know." Moving to the corner of the small closet, he move aside a small shelving unit and presented a grate. "It also outlined the ventilation system. A thief's underground tunnel to all things good."

Pulling a small screw driver out of his briefcase, Leonard made quick work of the screws. "The building we're currently in was added ten years back. Seems the board of directors wanted to extend a hand to the medical community, without having to spend too much of their investor's money. Long story short, too many shortcuts, which was good for us."

"How does any of this help us?"

Pulling the grate off, he replaced the screw driver back in the bag. "Ready to explore?"

"Where -?" Her brain catching up from his little lesson, Charlie's attention was snagged by the opening in the wall. "You want me to go in there?"

"Yes."

"In an air vent?"

"Charlotte, you're not afraid of small spaces, are you?" Looking displeased, Leonard stood from his crouched position.

"No." Shaking her head, Charlie looked at him in disbelief. "But falling through the ceiling suddenly went to the top of my list."

Her words brought a short bark of laughter. "We wont fall through the ceiling." Seeing uncertainty all over her face, he closed the distance between them. Giving her a long serious look, he caught her eyes for a moment. "I promise."

Biting down on her lower lip, Charlie considered her options and gave a long sigh. "Fine."

"That's a good girl."

Leonard had her go in first and told her to move to the left. The shaft was a little larger than she'd anticipated, but only big enough to allow her to slowly crawl. Moving about five feet, enough to allow Leonard access, she paused as she heard him slowly make his way in, and then the sound of the grate being pulled over to somewhat cover the gapping hole.

"We have forty-five minutes before the seminar is over." His whispered words instructed from behind. "We need to make it down to the corner of the building, climb up two floors, and move twenty feet."

A cold chill went up Charlie's spine. "Are we getting the serum? Like right now?"

His silence had her looking over her shoulder back at him and caught his gaze through the dim lighting. "Not today Charlotte."

"Oh." Feeling silly, she swallowed her disappointment. Moving forward, she barely heard his softly spoken apology coming from behind.

"Stop when you get to the point when we can climb up." His words should've made her pause, but instead Charlie moved at a snail's pace, as she tried to ignore just how much dust was accumulating on her clothing.

Leonard followed from behind, silently pleased it hadn't too much time to convince her into the shaft. He needed her comfortable moving inside the vent, seeing he was already set on her using them to get out, when his carefully crafted plan went south.

If things got bad, he knew he would be able to fight his way out. Had fought his way out of a bad situation several times. Charlie on the other hand, had not and he couldn't guarantee her safety if already occupied. Three weeks wasn't nearly enough time to orchestrate a theft and teach Charlie how to fight dirty. He had to prioritize, which meant getting her comfortable with the air-ducts.

Plus the view from behind wasn't all that bad.

When they reached the connecting duct, Charlie paused. "Here?"

"Yes. Move to the side." Waiting for her to scoot over, he squeezed up next to her side. "Its like climbing a ladder. Each linking gives a finger and foothold."

Pausing, he let her get used to the idea. Not moving he mentally ticked away the seconds inside his head, until she finally rewarded him a silent nod. "That's my girl." Grinning he moved on past her.

The climb up made her doubt her sanity, but when they reached the second opening, and Leonard helped her through, she felt grateful it was his hand that helped her to safety. Following him down, she let out a soft chuckle. Where the air-duct had enough room for her to crawl, Leonard's longer frame didn't give him such an allowance. Instead, he had to crawl on his stomach, using his arms to pull him forward.

"I hope you're not laughing at me sweetheart." Leonard's low drawl had her lips curling. "I may be forced to leave you behind."

His words lacked any real conviction, and Charlie couldn't help but laugh again.

Reaching their destination, Leonard pulled his bag off his shoulder, and undid the clasp. "Inside your bag is a few items. Get the first aid kit, lab coat and stun gun out."

Pulling the strap off her shoulder and over her head, she positioned it so she could easily open it and reach in. The lab coat was on top of the kit, and the stun gun on the very bottom.

"Good." Placing his items just out of sight of the opening, he put his hand out to add her items to the pile. Checking his wrist watch, he nodded. "We're making good time."

"I take it you've done this before." Adjusting her body into a more comfortable position, she watched the way Leonard's expression changed several times before settling on what she was starting to deem his 'blank' face.

"You could say that." Shifting to look over at her, he took in her dust smudged face, and shook his head. "When I was younger, my dad liked to take me on jobs where I could easily maneuver through the air ducts. Banks, office buildings, a hospital once. When I got older and grew, he had me assist him on other tasks."

"Your Dad sounds like an ass."

"Not everyone has a doting Grandmother to take them in." Leonard volleyed back. "My Pops may not have been Father of the year, but he taught me many lessons that've seen me through."

Charlie let his words penetrate, and by his tone, she doubted he shared a lot about his upbringing. With a sigh, Charlie closed her bag.

"Grams isn't my biological grandmother." Feeling it was only fair to share a secret of her own, but not really wanting to talk too much about it, Charlie looked back at Leonard's stunned expression. "We headed back?"

"Yeah." Nodding, clearly letting her off the hook, Leonard took the lead. He still paused when they reached the connection and helped her through, talking her down each section until she was safely back in the original duct.

"Wait for me at the opening." Leonard said from behind. When they reached their exit, he was pulling at his bag again. "Leave the bag out of sight."

Maneuvering her way out of the opening, she grimaced at her clothing. "Like no one will notice this."

"Here." Turning to where he was holding out a hand towel, she doubted it was going to help much. "It will help just enough. We've got four minutes until the seminar empties out. We'll get lost in the crowd and no one will notice."

Moving forward, he put his hand under her chin and quickly wiped away the dirt on her forehead and cheeks. "Make sure you keep pace with me. Nothing screams look at me then running through a crowd."

Jerking her head away, Charlie nodded and tried to sort out her messy hair. Her actions seemed to once again humor him, and with a half shrug went to work on his dirty clothing.

"You did good." Securing the rubber band around the end of her braid, Charlie's eyes snapped over to him, her expression bordering on suspicious. "I mean it. You handled the ducts like a pro. I expected for you to complain. But you did good."

"Better watch out Snart." Charlie couldn't help but say, her tone slightly smug. "I think you're starting to like me a little."

Not looking too pleased to have his own words to easy thrown back at him, Leonard rolled his eyes at her. "You're getting a little cheeky."

The murmuring sound of voices penetrated the room, and the relaxed atmosphere evaporated. Waiting a minute, Leonard waived her to the door, and she was the first one out, quickly followed by Leonard. Placing a secure hand on her lower back, a reminder not to hurry, he weaved them through the crowd and straight to the door.

Nearly ten feet away from their target, a woman stepped out of the crowd, and right into their path.

"Charlie?"

Stopping mid-step, Charlie felt Leonard bump into her. "Molly."

The older woman moved forward, and embraced Charlie, who barely moved. "Its been awhile. I'm shocked to see you here, what with you having dropped out and all."

Charlie swallowed down the panic bubble threatening to escape, and instead gave the other woman a forced smile. "Doesn't mean I lost interest in the health field."

"You were such a talented student." Turning her attention to where Leonard stood sizing her up, the older woman flashed a toothy grin. "Molly Trenton."

"Michael Combs." Sliding his arm around Charlie's waist, Leonard let his charm ooze. "Charlotte's fiancé."

"Charlie was one of my student nurses." The other woman sighed. "I hated to see her go."

Leonard studied the older woman. He'd guess she was pushing fifty, and the years had not been kind to her. Plain, mousy brown hair, pulled painfully back into a neat bun, was already streaked with grey hair. The wrinkles around her mouth showed she either hadn't kicked the nasty habit of smoking or had quit a little too late. Her eyes were also an unremarkable brown. Not like Charlie's that reminded him of cinnamon.

Looking beyond the intruder's looks, he was reminded of a foster mother he'd once had. Her appearance was unremarkable, almost plain and unassuming. But underneath was a heartless bitch, who'd rather lock him or one of the other fosters into a closet, than coddle them with something so silly as food and emotion. He instantly disliked her.

Moving his hand from her hip, to take her hand, he placed the pad of his thumb on the pulse point on her wrist. The tempo was surprising quick, and it was all he needed to know. This Molly woman standing before them was not a friend.

"I'm sure she would've been a wonderful nurse." "Linking his fingers with hers, he gave a slight squeeze. "I apologize, but we're running late and need to get going."

Molly's eyes pinned Charlie for a second. Leonard prepared himself to intervene, but relaxed when she said her goodbyes and moved away. Free to move again, Leonard winced when Charlie's pulse start to race again and she started to sway.

"Don't you dare faint." Whispering into her ear, Leonard gritted his teeth. "Move that pretty little butt of yours, we're almost out of here."

Swallowing, Charlie just nodded and let him lead her out the doors and into the blinding sunlight. They walked quickly through the courtyard, and after they crossed the street to the lot where the car was, Charlie finally stopped and used a nearby bush to lose her breakfast on.

"Am I to assume she's not a friend?"

After she was done dry heaving, Charlie stood up, wiping furiously at the tears pooling in her eyes. "No. Not a friend."

"Charlotte."

"She's the bitch responsible for me dropping out of nursing school."


End file.
